Former Dong Nai chairman, Party chief jailed in medical bribery case

The Hanoi People's Court sentenced Tran Dinh Thanh, former Party Secretary of Dong Nai, and Dinh Quoc Thai, former chairman of the province, to 11 and 9 years in prison respectively for taking VND14.5 billion ($616,760) each in bribes from AIC.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, chairwoman of AIC, who is currently on the run from police, was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for "violating regulations governing bidding that lead to serious consequences," and 16 years for bribery, for a total 30 years.

Phan Huy Anh Vu, former director of the Dong Nai General Hospital, was sentenced to nine years in prison for accepting bribes, and 10 years for bidding violations, for a total of 19 years.

The indictment says that Nhan cultivated a relationship with Thanh in order to meet with other Dong Nai officials, hoping her AIC company would win 16 bidding packages to provide medical equipment for the Dong Nai General Hospital project which was under construction between 2008 and 2015.

Nhan is considered the mastermind of the scheme. Thanh and Thai each took VND14.5 billion from Nhan to influence others, including Vu, to help AIC win 16 bids, leading to severe losses for the state of over VND152 billion. The AIC also gave Vu VND14.8 billion as bribes to "smoothen the process."

At the court, the charged all pleaded for leniency so that they could return to being "good people."