HCMC – Former Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was sentenced to six years in prison on May 27 for violations related to the management and use of State assets in connection with the construction of the second campuses of Viet Duc and Bach Mai hospitals.
The Hanoi People’s Court said the violations caused losses and waste totaling more than VND803 billion.
The verdict was announced during the first-instance trial on Wednesday afternoon. The court also ordered Tien to compensate VND108 billion.
Prosecutors said Tien as leader of the Ministry of Health was responsible for directing and overseeing the implementation of the two hospital projects.
She was accused of approving contractor selection decisions and procurement plans without fully reviewing their legal basis, while relying heavily on proposals from the ministry’s major medical project management board and assessments by subordinates.
The court said the violations contributed to delays in both projects and resulted in significant waste of State funds.
Nguyen Chien Thang, former director of the Management Board of Key Medical Projects, received the heaviest sentence among the 10 defendants. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for violations related to State asset management and 20 years for accepting bribes, bringing his combined sentence to 30 years.
According to the indictment, Thang solicited a 5% “commission” from contractors and received more than VND88 billion in bribes. The court identified him as the central figure in the case, though it also noted mitigating factors, including cooperation with investigators, a confession, and previous professional achievements.
Nguyen Huu Tuan, another former director of the Management Board of Key Medical Construction Projects, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on similar charges. Prosecutors said he received a total of VND12.1 billion from contractors.
During closing arguments, prosecutors acknowledged several mitigating factors for Tien, including her cooperation with investigators, expressions of remorse, and voluntary repayment efforts.
Tien returned the full VND7.5 billion deemed to have been illegally gained and paid an additional VND17 billion to address damages caused by the case. Prosecutors said she had made the largest compensation payment among the defendants.
The court also noted her previous contributions to the health sector. It further recognized that this was her first offense and that she had a good personal record.
