HCMC – The Ministry of Public Security has proposed charging former director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) Nguyen Nhat Cam and nine others for allegedly tripling the purchase price of the real-time PCR detection systems used for Covid-19 testing.
On September 12, the ministry announced the findings of an investigation into the price gouging on these systems at Hanoi CDC, Nhan Thanh Property Valuation and Auction JSC, Vietnam Trading and Material Science Company and other relevant entities, the local media reported.
The ministry also transferred all documents related to the case to the Supreme People’s Procuracy. The ten suspects were accused of allegedly violating bidding regulations, leading to serious consequences.
Among these suspects, six are ex-officials of the Hanoi CDC, including Cam; Nguyen Vu Ha Thanh, former head of financial and accounting department; Le Xuan Tuan, an employee of the same department; Hoang Kim Thu, former chief accountant at Hanoi CDC; Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, former head of the administrative organization department; and Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, former head of the planning and operation department.
The remainder are Dao The Vinh, director of Vietnam Trading and Material Science Company; Nguyen Tran Duy, general director of Nhan Thanh Property Valuation and Auction JSC; Nguyen Ngoc Nhat, an employee of Vitech Development Company; and Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, an employee of Phuong Dong Medical Equipment Company.
The results of the Ministry of Public Security’s investigation showed that early this year, the Hanoi CDC bought some real-time PCR detection systems, which were imported into Vietnam at a price of more than VND2 billion, but the Hanoi CDC reported a cost of some VND7 billion.
The suspects were found to cause losses of more than VND5.4 billion for the State. However, they have all returned the embezzled funds.
