Vietnam jails former Deputy Foreign Minister, 53 others for COVID corruption

Colombo (News 1st) - Vietnam's former Deputy Foreign Minister is among 54 government officials and businessmen who were jailed on Friday (28th) for obtaining massive bribes to repatriate Vietnamese citizens who were stranded overseas when the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, Vietnamese media reported.

Among them were 25 state officials, including two ambassadors and other senior diplomats, who amongst them had obtained bribes totaling USD7.4 million.

Ex-Deputy FM To Anh Dung was sentenced to 16 years in jail for bribes to the value of USD 1 million.

Pham Trung Kien, an assistant to the Minister for Health, received a life sentence for obtaining bribes totaling USD 2 million. Prosecutors had asked for the death penalty.

Others convicted included influential businessmen who owned and managed companies that arranged 'rescue flights' to bring back thousands of Vietnamese, including many students, from Europe and other regions.

The trial lasted just 18 days.