HCMC – Le Duc Tho, former secretary of Ben Tre Province’s Party Committee and former chairman of VietinBank, has been charged with accepting bribes worth US$600,000 and receiving high-value gifts in connection with the Xuyen Viet Oil case.
The Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Agency announced on August 27 that it had completed its investigation into the case of mismanagement and misuse of State assets and bribery in Xuyen Viet Oil Travel and Transport Trading Co., Ltd., and several related agencies and organizations.
Among 15 defendants, Le Duc Tho is charged for allegedly abusing his position and power to influence others for personal gains and accepting bribes.
Specifically, between 2019 and January 2020, in his capacity as general director and chairman of VietinBank, Tho received US$600,000 in bribes twice from Mai Thi Hong Hanh, director of Xuyen Viet Oil, to approve a credit limit and a credit limit extension for the firm.
He also abused his position as Party secretary of Ben Tre Province and former chairman of VietinBank to influence the director of VietinBank’s Ben Tre branch. This resulted in Xuyen Viet Oil receiving favorable loan conditions, including a credit limit of VND400 billion, preferential interest rates, and a 40% loan-to-collateral ratio.
In addition to the US$600,000 bribe, Tho received money and valuable assets from Hanh, totaling US$470,000. The total amount of bribes from Hanh amounted to US$1.07 million.
Mai Thi Hong Hanh is being prosecuted for violations related to managing and using State assets, causing losses and waste, and for giving bribes.
Nguyen Thi Nhu Phuong, deputy director of Xuyen Viet Oil, is accused of mismanagement and misuse of State assets that caused losses and waste.
Seven individuals are accused of taking bribes, namely Do Thang Hai, former deputy minister of Industry and Trade; Tran Duy Dong, former head of the Domestic Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade; Hoang Anh Tuan and Nguyen Loc An, former deputy head of the Domestic Market Department; Le Duy Minh, former director of Department of Finance of HCMC; and two others.
Five others, including leaders and staff of Xuyen Viet Oil and one freelancer, were charged for offering bribes in the case.
