Anti-corruption officials take $3.7 mln in bribes from HCMC hospital director

Bui Trung Kien, a former police officer of the anti-corruption police department under the Ministry of Public Security, is set to be charged with "obtaining property by fraud." Le Thanh An, another former police officer from the same department, as well as four other people involved in the case, will face the charge of "brokering bribery."

The two former police officers were accused of receiving $3.7 million as bribes from Nguyen Minh Quan, director of the Thu Duc Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Quan was arrested last November pending investigations for certain bidding violations that happened at the hospital.

Authorities said that in early 2021, when Quan was being investigated for the bidding violations, he approached Kien for help in escaping punishment. Kien agreed and received $700,000 from Quan, before requesting another $1.5 million. The money was transferred by March 2021.

In May 2021, Quan saw that the investigation against him continued, so he asked for his money and got back $1.15 million. Then, after Quan reported the bribery arrangement to the police, Kien's family voluntarily transferred $1.05 million to authorities to "fix the consequences."

Kien confessed to having received $2.2 million from Quan, but did not take any effort to help him. Instead, he used the money to make some investments in land.

After failing to get any help from Kien, Quan approached other "middlemen" for help and this led to his being introduced to the other police officer. The middlemen were given around $1.6 million that was later transferred to An and other accomplices in the case.

Since Quan reported the matter to the police before he was found out, he will not be investigated for "giving bribes," police said.