Former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and his students received a total of 27 years in prison.

After 10 days of trial and deliberation, on the afternoon of January 12, the Hanoi People's Court sentenced Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long (former Minister of Health) and 37 defendants in the case of Viet A Company and a number of related units.

Accordingly, the court sentenced Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long to 18 years in prison for "Accepting bribes". Also accused of accepting bribes, Mr. Nguyen Huynh (former Secretary of Mr. Long) received 9 years in prison.

Two former heads of the Ministry of Health, Nguyen Minh Tuan (former head of the Department of Construction Equipment) was sentenced to 8 years in prison and Nguyen Nam Lien (former head of the Department of Planning and Finance) was sentenced to 7 years in prison.

According to the verdict, defendant Phan Quoc Viet (Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director of Viet A Company) with the purpose of producing and selling test kits for illegal profits, colluded with Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Nguyen Huynh, and defendant Nguyen Van Trinh (former assistant of the former Deputy Prime Minister) to commit many violations.

In order to get intervention and help from a group of former leaders in ministries, branches and localities, the General Director of Viet A Company agreed to share and give bribes and thank-you money many times with a total of 3.45 million USD and 4 billion VND.

Phan Quoc Viet's actions are accused of causing losses of more than VND1,200 billion, including losses of more than VND431 billion to the state budget. The total amount of money Phan Quoc Viet bribed former officials in this case was more than VND106 billion.

Among them, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long received the largest bribe amount, up to 2.25 million USD.

During the trial, the court assessed that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long confessed honestly, repented, and influenced his family to return all the bribe money. Mr. Long was recognized for his good cooperation with the investigation agency to clarify the nature of the case, and was awarded many certificates of merit during his work, so this was considered a mitigating circumstance.

Previously, in the indictment, the prosecutor said that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long's violations led to a series of violations by other defendants.

DO TRUNG

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