The Hanoi People’s Procuracy on Friday screened a CCTV footage showing Hoang Van Hung, an ex-investigator from the Ministry of Public Security, receiving a Samsonite attaché case that the procuracy believed to contain US$450,000 to help enterprise’s executives involved in repatriation flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while Hung suggested the procuracy prove the case contained money.

According to the CCTV footage, Hung received the Samsonite attaché case in front of his workplace, the headquarters of the Security Investigation Authority under the Ministry of Public Security.

Hung was charged with joining hands with Nguyen Anh Tuan, former deputy director of the Hanoi Police, to receive bribes to help Le Hong Son, former general director of Blue Sky Trading, Services and Tourism Company in Hanoi, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang, former deputy general director of the company, escape investigations.

Tuan declared he had transferred a total of $2.25 million to Hung but the procuracy had grounds to charge Hung with appropriating $800,000 only, according to the procuracy.

The Hanoi People’s Procuracy on Monday proposed sentencing Hung to 19-20 years behind bars.

While screening the CCTV footage, a procurator said Hung declared the case contained four wine bottles, while Tuan, who assigned his subordinate to hand over the case to Hung, affirmed cash totaling $450,000 was inside the case.

After receiving the case, Hung got in his car parked nearby. He drove the car away after sitting in the car for over seven minutes.

Hung later returned to his workplace without holding the case.

Both Tuan and Hang declared that the money was delivered to Hung following Hung’s requirement, the procurator added.

The procurator even said Hung was “shifty” and “deceitful” while assessing Hung’s declarations, adding that the ex-investigator made dishonest declarations and slandered the procuracy.

The procurator affirmed that the indictment of Hung was accurate and was issued in a prudent manner to ensure the objectivity and the compliance with the law.

Procurators interrogated Hung three times and confronted him twice during the investigation into Hung.

However, Hung denied the process and slandered the investigation agency. Therefore, Hung’s refusal of receiving money proved his deviousness, according to the procuracy.

Meanwhile, Hung repeatedly denied the accusation and claimed innocence, saying that the procuracy deduced and used one-sided testimonies to charge him.

The ex-investigator admitted receiving the Samsonite attaché case.

However, he suggested the procuracy give evidence proving that the Samsonite attaché case contained $450,000, adding that there is no witness and image about Tuan’s handover of the money to him.

As a result, it is impossible to conclude that the case contained money, Hung said.

He earlier said at the court that he would plead guilty if the procuracy could give a piece of evidence.

He also cited many regulations to say that the investigation process involved many shortcomings and the procuracy initiated legal proceedings against him and determined his count in a hasty manner.

He suggested the court determine if the procuracy’s use of declarations of Tuan and Hang to accuse him is in line with the law or not.

As for the remaining $350,000 among the $800,000 that the procuracy affirmed Tuan had sent to Hung, he suggested the procuracy clarify when and how he asked Tuan to give the money, what his requirement for the money was, and when and how he received the money.

A representative of the Hanoi People’s Procuracy at the court. Photo: Nam Anh / Tuoi Tre

In early 2020, Vietnam closed itself off to the world in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The country organized nearly 2,000 flights during the COVID-19 pandemic to repatriate more than 200,000 Vietnamese nationals from 60 countries and territories, as commercial flights were not available during the period, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

During the process of licensing the flights and approving the quarantine plans in localities from September 2020 to December 2022, 54 officials, enterprises’ executives and other people were found to have committed law violations.

The People’s Court of Hanoi launched the first-instance trial of the 54 defendants on July 11 and is expected to finish it in a month.

Of the 54 defendants standing trial, 21 are accused of taking bribes, while 23 are charged with giving bribes, four with brokering bribery, and four others with abusing positions and powers while on duty, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

One defendant was prosecuted for committing fraud for property appropriation and the other is accused of committing fraud for property appropriation and giving bribes.

The total amount of bribery money in this case reached $9.5 million, according to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

The Hanoi People’s Procuracy on Monday suggested sentences for the 54 defendants, including the death penalty for Pham Trung Kien, former secretary of a deputy minister of health, who allegedly took 253 bribes at a total value of over VND42 billion ($1.8 million).

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