HCMC – The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has ordered the Bac Ninh Province police to work with Japanese firm Tenma in the investigation of a bribery scandal involving 25 million yen to escape tax duties.
Speaking at a regular Government press briefing on June 2, Major General To An Xo, head of the office of the ministry, said that the prime minister had directed the Ministries of Finance and Public Security to launch a thorough probe into the case.
While the investigation is being conducted by the Ministry of Finance, the MPS has asked the Bac Ninh police to verify the information and collect the relevant paperwork and documentary evidence, Xo said.
The ministry also requested several relevant agencies to contact the Japanese firm over paperwork related to the case, the local media reported.
Under the prime minister’s directive, investigation into the bribery case must be conducted in a transparent manner to prevent tax losses, noted the major general.
Earlier, several Japanese media outlets including Asahi, Kyodo and Nikkei had reported that Vietnamese public officials accepted 25 million yen or VND5 billion in bribes from the Vietnam unit of the Tokyo-based company.
Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung on May 26 ordered the suspension of tax and customs officials implicated in the bribery case involving Tenma Vietnam, a subsidiary of Japan’s plastic product maker Tenma Corporation, leading to 11 officials being suspended for 15 days pending the probe.
