Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has apprehended a former chairman of a state-owned bank for his suspected involvement in a series of illegal banking operations.

Officers confirmed on Thursday that they had arrested Tran Bac Ha, former board chairman of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), and conducted a search of his home.

Tran Luc Lang, BIDV’s former deputy general director, and Kieu Dinh Hoa, former deputy director of its branch in the north-central province of Ha Tinh, were also taken into police custody.

Le Thi Van Anh, former chief of the corporate client office at the BIDV Ha Tinh branch, was put under house arrest.  

On November 22, the investigation agency under the Ministry of Public Security initiated criminal proceedings for each individual’s violations of legal regulations on banking activities and other related dealings at BIDV, in accordance with Article 206 of the Criminal Code 2015.   

Police are currently investigating the allegations and reclaiming assets in line with the law. 

Ha was expelled from the Communist Party of Vietnam in June for his role in the wrongdoings and shortcomings of BIDV’s Party Committee during the 2010-15 and 2015-20 tenures.

Founded in 1957, BIDV is one of Vietnam’s four state-run banks, which also include Agribank, Vietinbank, and Vietcombank.

Ha, 62, worked at the bank from February 1981 to September 2016.

He served as chairman for eight years and eight months.

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