HCMC – The Investigative Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday, January 9, it had charged Hoang Van Thang, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, with accepting bribes.
It has also filed charges against 11 other individuals, including officials from the Construction Management Department and contractors involved in several major irrigation projects across Vietnam.
Investigation results showed that Thang and his co-conspirators manipulated the bidding processes for these projects, unfairly favoring certain companies, including Hoang Dan Company. In exchange for their influence, they allegedly received substantial bribes.
The projects under investigation include the Ban Mong Lake, Ban Lai Lake, Krong Pach Thuong Lake, and Canh Tang Lake projects, located in various provinces throughout the country.
The investigation has estimated that these corrupt practices resulted in over VND234 billion in losses to the State budget.
Other individuals indicted include Tran To Nghi, former acting director of the Construction Management Department, and Tran Van Lang, former director of the Investment and Construction Management Board for Irrigation 2, and others facing charges related to accepting bribes or violating bidding regulations.
