HCMC – The Ministry of Public Security has detained former Deputy Minister of Health Cao Minh Quang for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the purchase of materials to produce Tamiflu and Oseltamivir phosphate, antivirals of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, from Cuu Long Pharmaceutical JSC in 2006.
Lieutenant General To An Xo, chief of the ministry’s office, said today, March 11, that the ministry had filed charges against Quang since he showed no sense of responsibility, which caused serious consequences.
The ministry’s investigators also launched criminal proceedings against Duong Huy Lieu and Nguyen Nam Lien, former heads of the Department of Planning and Finance under the Ministry of Health, for the same charges.
Preliminary investigation results showed that the accused had failed to check and discover that Cuu Long Pharmaceutical JSC had yet to pay US$3.8 million to the supplier of the materials. The money was a result of the reduction in prices of materials, originating from the State budget. The firm kept the money for its own use rather than returning it to the Ministry of Health, causing losses to the State.
Relating to the case, investigators had earlier arrested Luong Van Hoa, former general director of Cuu Long Pharmaceutical JSC, and Nguyen Van Thanh Hai, former chief accountant of the firm.
