Hanoi vice mayor arrested for 'receiving bribes'

Chu Xuan Dung, vice chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, was arrested Thursday for further investigation into his allegedly taking bribes in the pandemic repatriation flight scam.

Dung was found to have abused his positions and power in approving for businesses to carry out "rescue" flights that brought Vietnamese citizens home from abroad for isolation in Hanoi.

On the same day, the Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency also detained Vu Hong Nam, a former official of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, to investigate his allegedly taking bribes, and arrested Pham Bich Hang, director of Vina Mi Chi Joint Stock Company, on the charges of "giving bribes".

This is the latest result in an expanded investigation into the case of "giving, accepting and brokering bribes; abusing positions and power while on official duty; and fraudulently appropriating property" that occurred at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hanoi and other provinces and cities. So far, more than 30 people have been arrested in this case.

Chu Xuan Dung, 49, is from Dong Anh district, Hanoi. Before serving as vice chairman of Hanoi from 2020, he was deputy director and then director of Hanoi's Department of Education and Training.

As vice chairman of the capital for the term 2021-2026, Dung was assigned to be the head of the municipal Steering Committee on Covid-19 disease prevention and control.

On the same day, Hanoi's Party Committee issued a notice saying that the city's Party leaders have proposed to take disciplinary action against Dung.

They concluded that Dung had degraded in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle; abusing his positions and power in approving for businesses to carry out rescue flights that brought citizens home from abroad for isolation in Hanoi; violating Party members' code of conduct, regulations on responsibility to set an example, and the law.

Chu Xuan Dung's violations led to serious consequences that caused anger among society and undermined the prestige of Party organizations.

The Party leaders voted unanimously to propose competent authorities consider removing him from the Communist Party.