Responding to questioning at the Viet A ‘big case’ trial, former high-ranking officials such as Nguyen Thanh Long, Pham Xuan Thang, and Chu Ngoc Anh all admitted that the charges against the defendant were accurate.
On January 4, the Hanoi People’s Court continued the trial of 38 defendants in the Viet A “big case”.
Called for questioning, former Secretary of Hai Duong Pham Xuan Thang admitted that the content of the indictment as an indictment was “valid”. Before the announcement podium, Mr. Thang declared that he was elected Secretary of Hai Duong from October 2020. At this time, the Covid-19 epidemic in Hai Duong is breaking out. In early 2021, defendant Nguyen Thanh Long met Mr. Thang and asked to return to Hai Duong to fight the epidemic. After that, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long proposed that Viet A participate.
“However, the defendant did not have any influence and also told Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long: This matter needs to be discussed with the Provincial Party Standing Committee” – defendant Thang declared.
According to Mr. Pham Xuan Thang, on January 29, 2021, at the Provincial Party Standing Committee meeting in online form, the defendant directed the Provincial People’s Committee to coordinate with Viet A to participate. Also at another meeting at the Provincial Party Committee, Phan Quoc Viet attended the meeting, but defendant Thang did not know which unit advised Phan Quoc Viet (Viet A’s boss) to participate.
Regarding the reason for agreeing to let Viet A participate in fighting the epidemic in Hai Duong, Mr. Pham Xuan Thang said: “At that time, the epidemic prevention work was urgent, Viet A was proposed by specialized agencies, and at the same time had a person in charge. The head of the Ministry of Health has high expertise, so I trust him.”
Defendant Pham Xuan Thang declared that he received 100,000 USD directly from Phan Quoc Viet after Lunar New Year 2021. In addition, the defendant also received 3 times money from Pham Duy Tuyen – former director of CDC Hai Duong. Of which, 2 times were 300 million VND each, 1 time was 50,000 USD.
“The defendant used the money received for personal expenses” – defendant Thang declared. In this case, Mr. Thang was prosecuted for “abusing position and power while performing official duties”.
Previously, in his response to questioning, defendant Nguyen Thanh Long (former Minister of Health) admitted that the indictment’s indictment on the crime of accepting bribes was correct.
Mr. Long said he knew Phan Quoc Viet when they both attended a medical station opening in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, but after that the two sides did not contact. When the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long did not trust Viet A to produce its own test kits. But then Mr. Long’s secretary, Nguyen Huynh, continuously praised Viet A. At the same time, Nguyen Huynh also said that Viet A coordinated with the Military Medical Academy to produce test kits, so Mr. Long trusted.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long admitted to pawning 2.25 million USD from Phan Quoc Viet, of which 2.2 million USD was received through defendant Nguyen Huynh, 50,000 USD was received directly from Viet. The time to give and receive the money was about 10 months after the temporary license was granted, but the defendant did not request it.
When the chairman asked: “No favors, but why did Viet A have to give money”, defendant Nguyen Thanh Long replied: defendant Huynh said Viet A could do business so he gave it as a gift.
“It was wrong for the defendant to receive money. The defendant apologized. But in that situation, the defendant did not suggest or demand anything” – defendant Long explained in court.