Vietnam arrests deputy health minister on bribery charge

Vietnamese police arrested Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan on Sept. 2, accusing him of accepting a large bribe. The Ministry of Public Security did not disclose the amount, saying Thuan was detained “due to his acceptance of bribes involving a large sum of money.”

Thuan, 56, is a leading oncologist who became deputy health minister in 2020 and chair of the National Medical Council in 2024. His arrest is part of an investigation into Viet My Medical Investment Joint Stock Company, where police are examining alleged smuggling and accounting violations that caused serious consequences.

State media said the company was allegedly established to trade, resell and inflate the prices of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals before importing them from Singapore and Hong Kong into Vietnam. Police have arrested two executives and an accountant, and also accuse company leaders of attempting to import medical equipment illegally. The company could not be reached for comment.

The arrest adds to Vietnam’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has accelerated under President To Lam and ensnared dozens of business leaders and senior officials. State media reported that former Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was imprisoned for six years in May over mismanagement of hospital projects. Analysts say the campaign has removed many of To Lam’s opponents, leaving him Vietnam’s most dominant leader in decades.

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due to his acceptance of bribes involving a large sum of money