Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Vinh Phuc have arrested and initiated legal proceedings against three inspectors of the Ministry of Construction after they were caught red-handed receiving bribes from local businesses and administrators.

The officials in question are Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, deputy chief of the anti-corruption office under the construction ministry, and two other inspectors, Dang Hai Anh and Nguyen Thuy Linh.

Officers began legal procedures against the three for “accepting bribes” on Tuesday. The decision on such procedures had been approved by the provincial People’s Procuracy on the same day.

According to preliminary information, the Vinh Phuc police department received multiple denunciation letters from local businesses in early June, when Kim Anh led a five-member inspection team, including Hai Anh, Linh and two others officials, to examine several projects in Vinh Tuong District.

The inspected companies were asked to pay ‘under the table’ money by the inspection team, according to the denunciation letters.

On June 12, officers were able to catch Hai Anh red-handed receiving VND90 million (US$3,870) from the deputy director of a company.

Meanwhile, Kim Anh was found on the same day accepting a VND68 million ($2,924) bribe from the H., an accountant of the People’s Committee in Tan Tien Commune, Vinh Tuong District.

Police officers also discovered she had earlier pocketed VND91.5 million ($3,934) from an accountant at the administration in Vinh Tuong’s Tho Tang Town.

The bribes were given to the inspectors so that they would cover up some violations at the projects developed by local firms and administrations.

Linh was later found to be involved in the case.

The provincial police department has also searched an office at the Vinh Tuong People’s Committee headquarters, where the inspectors were working during their mission in the locality.

They found VND335 million ($14,405) inside Kim Anh’s closet, which was later confiscated along with computers, mobile phones, and other documents in the office to assist the investigation.

The three suspects have already admitted to their wrongdoing at the police station.

The inspection plan in Vinh Tuong District was approved by the construction ministry in April.

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