Prevent and fight corruption so that there is no longer "hot above, cold below"

Not only is it an “extended arm” of the Central Steering Committee, the establishment of Steering Committees in 63 provinces and cities is expected to overcome the situation of “hot above, cold below”, limiting the “national disaster” at the grassroots level. In particular, the Provincial Steering Committees will help the fight against corruption and negativity to be seamless, tight, and unified in the system from the Central to the local level.

Create unity from central to local levels

Based on the requirements for the work of preventing and combating corruption and negativity in the new situation, at the 5th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee, all 63 provincial and municipal Party Committees unanimously agreed to establish a Provincial Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption and negativity. This move from localities across the country is a demonstration of the determination to strengthen the leadership, direction and drastic and synchronous implementation from the Central to local levels in the fight against "internal invaders" of the entire Party, people and army in the spirit of "unanimity from top to bottom, consistency across the board".

On the morning of November 18, 2022, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negativity held a meeting chaired by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Steering Committee. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA

Implementing the Central's direction, in mid-May 2022, Hanoi became the first locality in the country to establish a Steering Committee for the prevention and fight against corruption and negativity at the provincial and municipal levels. The Steering Committee consists of 15 members, headed by the Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, Head of the City's National Assembly Delegation; the City Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee is the standing body of the Steering Committee. Subsequently, 62 provinces and cities have established local Steering Committees and put them into operation.

The determined collaboration of localities with the Central Government to repel "internal invasion" nationwide has been highly anticipated by the people, who believe it will limit harassment and negativity, especially "petty corruption" at the grassroots level..., which has caused many headaches and consequences.

That move also cleared up public concerns that only when the Central Steering Committee intervenes will there be progress, and that there are still many cases that have "sunk". Especially when this work has been deployed down to the provincial level and the functions, tasks and powers have been clearly defined. If it is discovered that there are cases in the locality that the local Steering Committee has not detected or handled, then it is clear that the responsibility has not been fulfilled.

Recognizing the participation of localities, National Assembly delegate Pham Van Hoa said that the work of preventing and combating corruption and negativity in some provinces and cities in recent times has not had a clear change. Self-discovery of corruption and negativity cases is very rare, mainly discovered and requested by central agencies. Some Party committees and organizations have not paid due attention to leading, directing, inspecting and supervising this work at the local level, and the coordination mechanism between functional agencies in this work at the local level has not been focused.

"Currently, the Central Steering Committee has been working hard to prevent and fight corruption and negativity, so the addition of a Steering Committee will help localities overcome the situation of being hot above and cold below," said delegate Pham Van Hoa.

Unity from top to bottom, continuity throughout

Nearly half a year after the establishment of the "extended arm" of the Central Steering Committee, many localities have detected and strictly handled many corruption and negative incidents and cases. Data from the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption and negative incidents shows that the fight against "internal invaders" at the local and grassroots levels has been promoted and achieved many positive results; the number of corruption cases detected and handled tends to increase compared to previous years. In the first 10 months of 2022, localities prosecuted 382 new corruption cases, 1.5 times higher than the same period last year.

Although newly formed and put into operation, the Provincial Steering Committees have actively and proactively brought nearly 400 corruption and negative cases and incidents into monitoring and direction to focus on handling. Many localities have prosecuted Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee, Standing Committee members of the Provincial Party Committee, and Department Directors, such as: Lao Cai, Phu Yen, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh...

Localities have discovered and handled many corruption cases such as: Nghe An (29 cases), Hanoi (28 cases), Bac Ninh (19 cases), Ho Chi Minh City (15 cases), Thai Nguyen (14 cases), Son La (11 cases), Tuyen Quang (14 cases), Bac Giang (13 cases), Quang Ninh (11 cases), Nam Dinh (11 cases), Thanh Hoa (11 cases), Binh Dinh (11 cases)...

The encouraging results from localities truly and objectively reflect the uncompromising fight against the "internal invaders" that has taken a new step forward, going into depth, becoming increasingly fierce and effective, creating a new breakthrough. "Unanimously united from top to bottom, clear and transparent", looking at the actions and results from the Central Steering Committee, it can be seen that in the past time, the prosecution agencies nationwide have prosecuted and investigated 2,474 cases with 4,646 defendants, prosecuted 2,157 cases with 4,564 defendants, and tried 2,198 cases with 4,620 defendants for corruption, economic crimes, and crimes of position, of which 414 new cases with 939 defendants were prosecuted for corruption.

The Central Steering Committee has focused on directing the handling of 108 serious, complicated corruption and negative cases that have attracted public attention. In particular, it has initiated new prosecutions and investigated many particularly serious, complicated corruption and negative cases that have attracted public attention, occurring in specialized fields, operating in closed areas, both in the state and non-state sectors, such as: The case at the Consular Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs); the cases at FLC Group, Tan Hoang Minh, AIC Company; the case at Van Thinh Phat Group...

In the past, many defendants who are high-ranking officials, both incumbent and retired, have been handled, welcomed, agreed, supported, and highly appreciated by officials, party members, and the people. Among them, 15 high-ranking officials under the management of the Politburo and Secretariat have been prosecuted and investigated.

The recovery of corrupt assets continues to have many positive changes. Since the beginning of the year, the prosecution agencies have temporarily detained, seized assets, frozen accounts, and prevented transactions of assets worth over 160 trillion VND and many other valuable assets. The civil enforcement agencies have recovered nearly 16,000 billion VND, an increase of 7,000 billion VND compared to the previous year.

Resolutely and strictly handle violating officials in localities

Before the achievements in the fight against "internal invaders" as well as the initial results from the establishment of Steering Committees in 63 localities, information at the recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption and negativity showed that fighting "internal invaders" is an extremely difficult, complicated, and long-term task.

Defendants at the first instance trial of AIC Company and related units in the case that occurred at Dong Nai General Hospital. Photo: An Dang/VNA

Along with the country's development and the increasingly deep international integration process, corruption and negative behaviors will become more sophisticated, complicated and unpredictable. Not only occurring domestically, corruption has also spread internationally, not only occurring in the state sector but also in the non-state sector. Not only a few individuals violate, but many groups have violated, forming "interest groups". Such violations not only cause loss of money and property of the State, but also many officials, and loss of trust of officials, party members and people.

To fight corruption and negativity and to continue this work to a new level of development, going into depth, becoming more and more drastic and effective, recently General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out: We must continue to promote, resolutely, persistently, without stopping, without resting, with higher determination, stronger, more drastic and urgent actions in the fight against corruption and negativity.

According to the General Secretary, it is necessary to focus on directing central and local prosecution agencies to strengthen coordination, remove difficulties and obstacles, speed up the investigation, prosecution, trial of cases, and handling of cases under the supervision and direction of the Steering Committee; strive to complete the investigation, additional investigation of 11 cases, prosecute 9 cases, try 11 cases at first instance, try 3 cases at appeal, and complete the verification and handling of 21 cases in accordance with the Steering Committee's Plan by the end of 2022.

The Ministry of Public Security's Security Investigation Agency has issued a Decision to prosecute the accused, an Order to arrest the accused for temporary detention, and an Order to search the residence and workplace for the crime of "Receiving bribes", as prescribed in Article 354 of the Penal Code, against 3 accused: Mr. To Anh Dung - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (left), Mr. Pham Trung Kien (middle) - specialist of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction of the Ministry of Health, Vu Anh Tuan - Former officer of the Department of Immigration Management of the Ministry of Public Security. Photo: VNA

In particular, it is necessary to urgently remove difficulties and obstacles, speed up the verification, investigation, and strict handling of violations related to the case that occurred at Viet A Company; the case that occurred at the Consular Department - Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the case that occurred at Van Thinh Phat Group; the case that occurred at AIC Company...

In particular, in order for the Provincial Steering Committee to operate smoothly and effectively, creating a new breakthrough, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out that in the coming time, the Provincial Steering Committee will focus on directing local authorities to strengthen coordination and strictly implement the direction mechanism of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee in detecting and handling corruption and negativity through inspection, supervision, audit, investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution of judgments; direct the definitive handling of corruption and negativity cases and incidents that have been put under monitoring and direction; resolutely overcome the evil of "petty corruption"; strictly and synchronously handle Party discipline, administrative discipline, and criminal handling of corruption and negativity acts in accordance with the principle of "Proactively, promptly, and clearly handling to the extent that it is handled, regardless of who commits corruption; if there are signs of crime, it must be prosecuted and investigated, and if it is concluded that a crime is committed, it must be prosecuted and tried".

Hanh Quynh