The investigation conclusion showed that, after reaching an agreement to transfer the Dai Ninh project with Ms. Phan Thi Hoa, Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri (General Director of Saigon Dai Ninh Company - SGDN) was instructed by Mr. Tran Van Minh (then Deputy Inspector General of the Government - TTCP) to send a petition.

This is for the Government to issue a written directive to the Government Inspectorate to receive and resolve the matter (previously, Ms. Hoa had submitted a petition 5 times but it was not resolved).

In October 2020, Mr. Tri went to Hanoi and met Mr. Mai Tien Dung at the Government Office to discuss the fact that Mr. Tri had bought back the Dai Ninh project, but this project had been proposed to be revoked according to the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate. At that time, Mr. Tri brought a petition dated October 2, 2020 to ask Mr. Dung to write a note to assign Department I, the Government Office to advise and report to the Government leaders for direction, to transfer the petition of SGDN Company to the Government Inspectorate for settlement.

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Mr. Mai Tien Dung. Photo: Hoang Ha

And Mr. Mai Tien Dung wrote a note "transferring to Department I" on the application of SGDN Company and assigned Ms. Tran Bich Ngoc, Head of Department I to report and propose. On that basis, Ms. Ngoc drafted the documents as requested and in a direction favorable to Mr. Tri.

Because the petition of SGDN Company has not been resolved by the Government Inspectorate, Mr. Tri was instructed by Mr. Tran Van Minh to continue to submit a petition to the Government Office, asking for the opinion of the Government leaders in the direction of assigning the Government Inspectorate to inspect, review, and resolve more strongly so that the Government Inspectorate has a basis for implementation.

Therefore, on January 16, 2021, Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri made an appointment to meet Mr. Mai Tien Dung for breakfast and discussed the fact that the Dai Ninh project had been revoked according to Inspection Conclusion No. 929 of the Government Inspectorate and that Mr. Tri had bought back this project and was applying for procedures to have the project extended and not revoked; that he had been instructed by Mr. Tran Van Minh, Deputy General Inspectorate General, to continue sending the application of SGDN Company, through the Government Office, to report to ask for opinions from superiors with a stronger direction of "assigning the Government Inspectorate to inspect, review, and resolve".

This is a step for the Government Inspectorate to have a basis to establish an inspection team to verify the application, amend the inspection conclusion, and extend the project progress. Mr. Tri asked Mr. Mai Tien Dung to continue directing Department I to carry out this work.

According to the investigation conclusion, at that time, Mr. Mai Tien Dung also received instructions from his superiors to care for and help Mr. Tri, so Mr. Dung later wrote twice "transfer Case I (early resolution) January 15" and "transfer Case I" on the application dated January 12, 2021 of SGDN Company, assigning Ms. Tran Bich Ngoc to propose.

Then, based on the direction of his superiors, on March 1, 2021, Mr. Tran Van Minh signed a decision to establish a Working Group to inspect and verify the settlement of SGDN Company's petitions that were not in accordance with legal regulations.

This has created the premise for a series of violations in adjusting and amending the Inspection Conclusion, allowing the Dai Ninh project to be extended and delayed illegally. During the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri sent a thank you gift to Mr. Mai Tien Dung in the amount of 200 million VND.

Testimony of former Minister, Head of the Government Office

At the investigation agency, Mr. Mai Tien Dung stated that Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri is a businessman who has a close relationship with the Government leaders, Mr. Dung's superiors. In 2020, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, Mr. Tri accompanied the Government in fighting the epidemic, sponsored ventilators, and medical supplies to fight the epidemic, so Mr. Tri and Mr. Mai Tien Dung knew each other, occasionally met and talked to each other.

Mr. Mai Tien Dung stated about the meetings with Mr. Tri as concluded in the investigation and said that he helped Mr. Tri sign the application because he thought Mr. Tri had asked the Government leader to agree.

During the investigation so far, the defendant Mai Tien Dung has admitted to the violation, admitting that Mr. Tri gave him 200 million VND as a thank you. In addition, Mr. Tri also supported 380 million VND to buy souvenirs (tea sets) for the anniversary of the Government Office.

According to the investigation conclusion, Mr. Dung cooperated with his family to pay back 580 million VND to remedy the situation.