January 3, 2024, trial of 38 defendants in the Viet A case

The trial panel consists of 5 members: 2 judges and 3 people's assessors. Judge Tran Nam Ha is the Chairman. Three prosecutors from the Supreme People's Procuracy (seconded to the Hanoi People's Procuracy) and two prosecutors from the Hanoi People's Procuracy are assigned to exercise the right to prosecute and supervise the trial.

There are currently more than 70 defense lawyers registered to participate in the trial; of which, former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has 4 defense lawyers; former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh has one defense lawyer.

In preparation for this trial, the Court also summoned many organizations and individuals with rights and obligations related to the trial. All defendants, accused, and convicts in provinces and cities across the country related to the criminal acts of defendant Phan Quoc Viet (Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Viet A Company) and Viet A test kits were summoned to court.

In this case, former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long was brought to trial for “Accepting bribes”. Defendant Phan Quoc Viet was prosecuted by the Supreme People’s Procuracy for two crimes: “Giving bribes” and “Violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences”.

Former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh and former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac were prosecuted for the same crime: "Violating regulations on management and use of state assets, causing loss and waste".

The remaining 34 defendants were prosecuted for the crimes of: "Violating regulations on State asset management causing loss and waste", "Giving bribes", "Violating regulations on bidding causing serious consequences", "Taking advantage of positions and powers while performing official duties" and "Taking advantage of influence over people with positions and powers for personal gain".

According to the indictment of the Supreme People's Procuracy, when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the Government and the Ministry of Science and Technology assigned scientific units to proactively research and manufacture biological products to serve the work of epidemic prevention and control.

With the purpose of allowing Viet A Company to participate in the research project on test kits, then appropriating and turning the test into the company's product for production and consumption, Phan Quoc Viet colluded with Trinh Thanh Hung (former Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of Science and Technology) to have Viet A approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to participate and coordinate with the Military Medical Academy to carry out the project. After that, Phan Quoc Viet asked Nguyen Van Trinh (former official of the Government Office), Nguyen Thanh Long (former Minister of Health)... to intervene, influence, and direct Viet A Company to be granted a temporary circulation registration number by the Ministry of Health and officially register for circulation of COVID-19 test kits.

When Viet A commercially produced and sold 200,000 test kits to the Ministry of Health, Viet inflated the unit price structure but was still negotiated by the Ministry of Health, determining the price of 470,000 VND/test kit without basis.

The indictment stated that during the course of committing the violations, Phan Quoc Viet bribed Nguyen Thanh Long (former Minister of Health) 2.25 million USD; Nguyen Huynh (Secretary of defendant Nguyen Thanh Long) 4 billion VND; Nguyen Minh Tuan (former Director of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction, Ministry of Health) 300 thousand USD; Trinh Thanh Hung (former Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology) 350 thousand USD; Nguyen Nam Lien (former Director of the Department of Financial Planning, Ministry of Health) 100 thousand USD.

In addition, defendant Phan Quoc Viet also paid "thank you" money to defendant Nguyen Van Trinh (former official of the Government Office) 200 thousand USD and paid former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh 200 thousand USD.