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Former Hanoi health official claims bribe money was a 'thank you'
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam /Health & Science

Former Hanoi health official claims bribe money was a 'thank you'

From Thanh Niรชn · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • A former Hanoi Department of Health official is accused of accepting over 1.3 billion Vietnamese dong in bribes.
  • The official claims the money was a thank-you gift for professional guidance, not a bribe for illegal permits.
  • The case involves a network of brokers and officials facilitating the "running" of medical and pharmaceutical licenses for fees ranging from millions to tens of millions of dong.

A former official from the Hanoi Department of Health is on trial, accused of accepting over 1.3 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately $51,000 USD) in bribes. The accused, Tรด Tแปญ Anh, a former deputy head of the department managing private medical and pharmaceutical practices, maintains the funds were voluntary thank-you payments for his expertise and guidance, not bribes for illegal permits.

I only accepted it out of respect.

โ€” Tรด Tแปญ AnhExplaining why he accepted money from private clinics.

The trial, which began on July 9, involves 16 defendants, including 11 former employees and officials from the Hanoi Department of Health. They are accused of operating a scheme that transformed the strict process of issuing medical and pharmaceutical licenses into a "priced service." Many facility owners lacking necessary operational conditions paid "grease money" to brokers to obtain licenses.

According to the indictment, fees for licenses ranged from 15-20 million dong for Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) certifications, 30-50 million dong for Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certifications, and 60-70 million dong for medical practice operating licenses. Brokers received over 8.67 billion dong from 686 medical and pharmaceutical facilities between 2021 and 2024, passing some to officials to facilitate approvals. Brokers retained the difference as profit.

It was only thanks, not solicited or demanded, I only accepted it out of respect.

โ€” Tรด Tแปญ AnhDescribing the payments he received.

Mr. Tแปญ Anh stated that he only accepted 166 million dong as a "thank you" through brokers, insisting he never solicited payments and only accepted them out of respect. He claimed that the licensing process remained rigorous and that he only approved applications after all conditions were met and errors corrected. He argued that the payments were for his knowledge and effort in guiding the facilities, not for exchanging illegal permits. The court is examining whether his actions constitute bribery, given his position as deputy head and head of an appraisal team at the time.

The payments from the clinics were compensation for knowledge and professional effort in guidance, not a trade for illegal permits.

โ€” Tรด Tแปญ AnhDefending his actions in court.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Thanh Niรชn in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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