To Anh Dung, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam, was found to have accepted VND21.5 billion (US$918,000) in bribes linked to the arrangement of flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Ministry of Public Security.

The Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency released its conclusions from an investigation into the bribery case on Tuesday.

The agency proposed indicting Dung, Vu Hong Nam, another former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and 52 other individuals for their involvement in the case.

Dung was accused of having asked his subordinates to add companies in his network to the list of businesses eligible for operating COVID-19 repatriation flights.

He was also accused of receiving VND21.5 billion in bribes from these businesses, investigators said.

He admitted to his wrongdoings and paid back VND2 billion, or approximately $85,500, as a remedial action.

Regarding Nam, he was accused of abusing his power while serving as Vietnamese ambassador to Japan in order to take bribes.

Nam allegedly received over VND1.8 billion ($77,000) in bribes from Nhat Minh Company to assist the firm in selling flight tickets and offering hotel services to Vietnamese citizens stranded in Japan to fly home via six repatriation flights.

Investigators said Nam also made an honest confession and submitted all of the bribes.

Aside from Dung and Nam, the Ministry of Public Security concluded that Nguyen Quang Linh, ex-assistant to former Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, allegedly received a bribe of more than VND4.2 billion ($179,000) in this bribery scandal.

Police officers also proposed issuing an indictment against Linh for taking bribes.

Linh was found to have abused his power to help a number of companies take part in the arrangement of COVID-19 repatriation flights.

Chu Xuan Dung, former chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, and Tran Van Tan, ex-chairman of the Quang Nam Province People's Committee, also faced the same bribe-taking allegations.

Tens of former officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport, the Government Office, and the Immigration Department could be indicted for their implication in the bribery case as well.

These conclusions were released around one year after the Ministry of Public Security launched its probe into the case and pressed charges against over 50 individuals.

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