Hoang Thi Thuy Lan, former secretary of the Party Committee in Vinh Phuc Province, northern Vietnam, and Le Duy Thanh, former chairman of the provincial administration, have been accused of accepting bribes totaling over US$4 million from the leader of a company in a criminal case under investigation since last year.

On Monday, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency released its investigative conclusions regarding the case involving Vinh Phuc-based Phuc Son Group JSC and numerous officials in various localities, following an extensive probe that began in February 2024.

Among these officials, Lan and Thanh were arrested in March last year as part of an investigation into their alleged acceptance of bribes from Nguyen Van Hau, chairman of Phuc Son, a company specializing in real estate and construction.

Based on the investigation results, the agency has proposed prosecuting Lan and Thanh on charges of accepting bribes, and Hau on charges of violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences, violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences, and offering bribes.

According to investigators, Lan allegedly accepted VND25 billion ($988,000) and $1 million from Hau – who was detained in February 2024 – in three separate instances, in exchange for illicitly facilitating his real estate projects.

The first instance of bribery occurred in early June 2017, when Hau met with Lan at her office to discuss his group's privileges in acquiring a 188-hectare wholesale market project, which was at risk of revocation due to the original investor's prolonged delay.

Lan agreed to support Hau in acquiring the project through an illegitimate method, including undervaluing the land plot, and suggested he provide a sum of money in exchange.

Hau subsequently delivered VND20 billion ($785,100) to the provincial Party Committee Office. Following Lan's instructions, the deputy chief of the office met Hau outside the building to receive the money and later transferred it to Lan.

The second instance occurred on March 19, 2021, when Lan summoned Hau to her private residence and requested he promptly prepare $1 million for her needs. Later that day, Hau delivered the requested amount to Lan's residence.

The third and final instance occurred in early 2022, when Hau sought to acquire a residential project in Vinh Phuc’s Vinh Tuong District and an adjacent six-hectare plot from a company to develop a large property project. 

Aiming to expedite the approval process, Hau met with Lan to seek her support. Lan agreed, and Hau later directed his driver to give VND5 billion ($196,400) to Lan through the deputy chief of the Party Committee Office, as reported by Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.

During the investigation, Lan acknowledged receiving only VND10 billion ($392,800) and $500,000 from Hau. However, based on collected evidence and testimonies from the accused, the investigation agency alleges that Lan accepted bribes totaling VND25 billion and $1 million.

In addition to Lan, Hau also bribed Thanh, former chairman of the Vinh Phuc People's Committee, on four occasions, totaling $1.3 million and VND20 billion ($785,100), as kickbacks for Thanh’s unlawful support for the aforementioned wholesale market project, according to the investigation agency.

The first instance occurred in March 2021, when Hau personally handed a gift bag containing $500,000 to Thanh at his private residence.

In mid-March 2021, Thanh expressed interest in purchasing some plots of land and asked Hau to resell them on his behalf after the purchase was completed. Interpreting this as a request for a bribe, Hau offered Thanh $800,000.

The subsequent two instances occurred in late March and July 2023, when Hau visited the provincial chairman's office to seek assistance on related matters and gave him a total of VND20 billion.

As such, Lan and Thanh accepted bribes totaling VND 45 billion ($1.76 million) and $2.3 million, amounting to a total of $4.06 million. 

According to investigators, Phuc Son Group JSC generated total revenue of VND2.6 trillion ($78.5 million) from the sale of 673 land plots to customers under the wholesale market project. 

Of this amount, over VND1 trillion ($39.25 million) was recorded in official contracts for accounting purposes, while the remainder was kept off the books. 

Through this project, the group caused a loss of VND290 billion ($11.4 million) in corporate income tax and over VND101 billion ($3.96 million) in value-added tax to the state budget.

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