Viet A case: Former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and 11 defendants appeal

According to the announcement of the Hanoi People's Court, a number of defendants in the Viet A case and related people have filed appeals against the first instance verdict. Specifically, defendants Phan Quoc Viet - Chairman of Viet A, Nguyen Thanh Long - former Minister of Health, Trinh Thanh Hung (former Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Economic and Technical Sectors, Ministry of Science and Technology), Pham Duy Tuyen (former Director of the Center for Disease Control of Hai Duong province), Nguyen Truong Giang (former General Director of VNDAT Company) appealed for a reduction in their sentences.

Ms. Nguy Thi Hau (former Deputy Head of the Finance and Accounting Department of the Bac Giang Provincial Center for Disease Control) appealed the first instance judgment, requesting the appellate court to reassess the damage caused by the defendant's actions and consider giving the defendant a suspended sentence. Previously, defendant Hau received a 30-month prison sentence for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

Sentenced to 7 years in prison for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences, Mr. Vu Dinh Hiep (Deputy General Director of Viet A Company) appealed, requesting the appellate court to review and re-evaluate the true nature of the case and the defendant's crime.

In her appeal, Ms. Le Thi Hong Xuyen (former CDC Binh Duong testing staff) requested the Appellate Court to evaluate the motive, purpose, nature, level of behavior, circumstances, and personal background to consider granting the defendant a suspended sentence. Ms. Xuyen was sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Hanoi People's Court for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

Appealing the first instance verdict, Mr. Tran Thanh Phong (former Deputy Head of the Finance and Accounting Department of the Binh Duong Province Center for Disease Control) requested the appellate court to re-evaluate the motive, nature, and extent of the violation, and then reconsider the punishment for the defendant. Previously, Mr. Phong received a 24-month suspended sentence for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

In addition, some people with related rights and obligations also filed an appeal requesting the cancellation of the seizure and freezing of assets.

Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company also filed an appeal with the following content: Requesting the appellate court not to confiscate to the State budget the amount of money determined to be illegally profited from selling test kits to organizations and individuals not considered for prosecution in this case.

Viet A Company requires organizations that purchased the company's test products without going through the bidding process to pay Viet A according to the signed contract; requests the appellate court to cancel the measures to freeze/restrict transactions on the bank accounts of Viet A Company and the companies in the Viet A system that are not related to the case.

Previously, in January 2023, the Hanoi People's Court brought 38 defendants in the Viet A case to trial for 6 groups of crimes: Giving bribes; Receiving bribes; Violating regulations on management and use of state assets causing loss and waste; 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.

The Hanoi People's Court sentenced former Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long to 18 years in prison for accepting bribes. The first-instance verdict stated that Nguyen Thanh Long had received the highest bribe amount among the defendants, up to 2.25 million USD.

Defendant Phan Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company, received a sentence of 14 years in prison for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences and 15 years in prison for giving bribes.