Ho Chi Minh City finance director arrested on bribe taking allegation

Le Duy Minh, director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Finance, has been detained on charge of taking bribes related to an oil trading company scandal.

Minh’s arrest on Tuesday was conducted at the request of the investigative security agency under the Ministry of Public Security for further investigation into bribe taking allegations, according to Lieutenant General To An Xo, the ministry’s spokesperson.

His detention is part of an expanded investigation into the case of “violating regulations on management and use of state assets, causing losses and waste; showing lack of responsibility, causing serious consequences; giving bribes; and accepting bribes” that occurred at Xuyen Viet Oil Travel and Transport Trading Company Limited and related agencies.

Minh, 51, became director of the municipal Department of Finance in November 2022 after experiencing multiple positions at the city’s Tax Department, including its head.

Also involved in this scandal, Le Duc Tho, former Party Central Committee member and chief of Ben Tre province’s Party Committee, was arrested last Thursday for “abuse of positions to influence others for personal gains.”

The Ministry of Public Security has yet to reveal Tho’s detailed involvement.

Mai Thi Hong Hanh, director of Xuyen Viet Oil Co., and her deputy Nguyen Thi Nhu Phuong were the first two wrongdoers to be arrested in September for their roles in this case. They were charged of “violating regulations on management and use of state assets, causing losses and waste” under Article 219 of the Criminal Code.

According to the HCMC Tax Department, Xuyen Viet Oil Co. had a total of VND1.53 trillion ($63 million) in tax arrears as of June 30, 2023. The firm had 60 fuel stations and dominated circa 40% of the fuel retail market in the city.