Hanoi mayor, health minister face disciplinary action

The Central Inspection Committee has proposed the Politburo discipline Chu Ngoc Anh, Chairman of Hanoi, and Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.

A committee announcement released on Wednesday stated that the committee has proposed the Politburo take disciplinary action against Chu Ngoc Anh, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Secretary of Hanoi’s Party Committee, Chairman of Hanoi, and former Minister of Science and Technology.

The committee also proposed the Politburo discipline Nguyen Thanh Long, Party Central Committee member and Minister of Health.

Two lower-level officials of the ministry were expelled from the Party. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son and Dang Duc Anh, Secretary of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology’s Party Committee and Director of the institute, were warned of their violations.

The Central Inspection Commission also warned Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac of similar conduct.

Earlier in March, the committee concluded that the health ministry leaders in the 2016-2021 term lacked responsibility, showed loose leadership, and lacked direction, management and inspection, giving rise to some ministerial officials violating the Party’s regulations and State laws in appraising, inspecting, supervising, licensing, negotiating prices and procurement of Covid-19 test kits of Viet A Company.

The technology ministry leaders in the 2016-2021 term were determined to lack responsibility, show loose leadership, and lack direction, management, and inspection, giving rise to some ministerial officials violating the Party’s regulations and State laws in approving and signing contracts, managing, inspecting, supervising and funding a project that studies and manufactures Covid-19 test kits of Military Medical Academy.

The violations have led to "serious consequences, causing damage to State property and anger in society, and affecting the reputation of Party organizations of the ministries to the point of having to face disciplinary action".

Phan Quoc Viet, CEO of Viet A Company, was arrested in December 2021. He then admitted he had inflated the price of a Covid-19 test kit by 45% and given huge bribes to corporate partners and leaders of provincial and city centers for disease control (CDCs) across the country, asking them to distribute and use Covid-19 test kits provided by his company.