Four former officers of the Military Medical Academy and General Director of Viet A Company Phan Quoc Viet were tried by the Capital Military Court on December 27 in the case of producing Covid test kits.
Mr. Ho Anh Son, former lieutenant colonel, deputy director of the Military Medical Research Institute, Military Medical Academy, was prosecuted for the crime.Abuse of position and power while performing official duties.
The remaining three former officers were also charged with the crime.Violations of bidding regulations cause serious consequencesincluding: Nguyen Van Hieu, former colonel, head of Equipment and Supplies Department; Ngo Anh Tuan, former major, head of Finance Department and Le Truong Minh, former major, head of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department..
Currently, the prosecution agencies have not announced the defendants' violations.
Mr. Ho Anh Son (right) and General Director of Viet A Company Phan Quoc Viet at the press conference announcing the results of the research and manufacturing of the kit jointly conducted by the Military Medical Academy and Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company, March 2020.
The two defendants from Viet A Company are Phan Quoc Viet, General Director, prosecuted for both of the above crimes; Vu Dinh Hiep (Viet's deputy) is accused of the crime ofViolation of bidding regulations causes serious consequences.
In connection with the case, Mr. Trinh Thanh Hung, former deputy director of the Ministry of Science and Technology, was prosecuted for the crime.Abuse of position and power while performing official duties.
There are currently 14 lawyers registered to defend the 7 defendants. The Capital Military Procuracy identified the victim in the case as the Military Medical Academy, and the civil defendant as Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company.
The court summoned many witnesses and people with related rights and obligations such as the Finance Department of the Ministry of National Defense; Lieutenant General Nguyen Viet Luong, former political commissar of the Military Medical Academy; Major General Hoang Van Luong, former deputy director of the Military Medical Academy...
The trial was held in public, and it is not yet known how many days it will last.
38 other defendants in the same case related to the Viet A test kit, including former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, will be tried by the Hanoi People's Court one week after this case - January 3, 2024, expected to last 20 days.
According to Article 272 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Military Court has jurisdiction to try:
- All crimes occurring within martial law areas.
- Criminal cases in which the defendant is an active soldier; civil servant, worker, or defense official; reserve soldier during concentrated training or combat readiness inspection; militia or self-defense force during concentrated training or affiliated with the People's Army in combat or combat service; citizen mobilized, conscripted, or contracted to serve in the People's Army.
- Criminal cases in which the defendant is not subject to the provisions of Point a, Clause 1 of this Article, related to military secrets or causing damage to the life, health, honor, and dignity of active soldiers, civil servants, workers, defense officials, and reserve soldiers during concentrated training or combat readiness testing, or causing damage to the property, honor, and reputation of the People's Army, or committing crimes in military barracks or military areas managed and protected by the People's Army.