Verify the information immediately regarding the alleged expenditure of $1.5 million to "bribe" one's way into becoming a National Assembly candidate.

National Assembly Secretary General Nguyen Hanh Phuc expressed his opinion, stating that if such a large sum of money were involved in bribery, it would be an outrageous act.

"It's possible this is just a way of explaining where the money went; they spent it on personal things, so how can we know? The investigating agency is still working on it, so there's no information yet. If there is such information, it must be verified immediately to avoid affecting the reputation of the National Assembly. It needs to be clarified who received the money, how much, and for what purpose. If it was given, it would be a serious matter," Mr. Phuc said.

Regarding the information that Ms. Chau Thi Thu Nga (who was dismissed from the 13th National Assembly) allegedly spent 1.5 million USD to be included in the list of candidates for the National Assembly, in an interview with the press on the morning of September 8th, the Secretary General of the National Assembly, Nguyen Hanh Phuc, stated that this has not yet been verified.

Secretary General of the National Assembly Nguyen Hanh Phuc

The Secretary General of the National Assembly also raised the question: "What is the purpose of such a large sum of money being spent on the National Assembly? What problems will it solve? Now, some full-time National Assembly deputies are avoiding participating even when invited, so what would individuals want to do in the National Assembly?"

"I don't believe there's any such thing as bribing one's way into the National Assembly, especially with such a large sum of money. The law doesn't discriminate; even if someone holds the title of National Assembly representative, if they violate the law, they will still be punished," Mr. Nguyen Hanh Phuc emphasized.

Regarding public concerns about the selection of National Assembly deputies stemming from the cases of Ms. Chau Thi Thu Nga and Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh, the Secretary General of the National Assembly stated that honesty is required throughout the consultation and review process. These cases highlight the need for improved verification work in the future, serving as a lesson in management, consultation, verification, and the management of National Assembly deputies' background records.

“The case of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong was similar; we didn't know about it until near the end. It was very unexpected, and sometimes we don't have the means to verify it, but the National Assembly is very clear: if we don't discover it today, we will resolutely handle it tomorrow. We are not afraid of losing credibility and therefore will not refrain from taking action,” said Mr. Nguyen Hanh Phuc.

Regarding Ms. Chau Thi Thu Nga, Mr. Nguyen Hanh Phuc stated that there had been no prior information about bribery, as any such allegations would have been dealt with immediately. He also emphasized that the idea of ​​having the power to make decisions in the National Assembly is a misconception.

“The law allows for the right to run for office, but what is the purpose? Is it to run for the people, for the country, to ensure the rights of the people, or to exploit it for some other purpose, and is it permissible to exploit it?” – Mr. Phuc said, affirming that campaigning must be healthy and fair, and that one should not rely on having a lot of money to campaign however they want, because the law does not allow it.

According to VOV