General Secretary: Step up investigation, prosecution, trial of cases, handling of serious and complicated incidents

The Standing Meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negative Practices took place on November 18 in Hanoi, chaired by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negative Practices (Steering Committee) to discuss and give directions on handling a number of cases and incidents under the supervision and direction of the Steering Committee; on amending and supplementing the Working Regulations and the Decision on assigning tasks to members of the Steering Committee.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negativity, speaks at the meeting. Photo: VNA.

At the meeting, the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee unanimously assessed that since the 19th Session (January 2021) of the Steering Committee up to now, Party committees, Party organizations, and functional agencies have made efforts to seriously implement the conclusions of the Steering Committee, deploying tasks of preventing and combating negativity associated with preventing and combating corruption, focusing on degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle. The work of preventing and combating corruption and negativity in general, and the work of detecting and handling corruption and negativity cases and incidents in particular, continue to be promoted, with many positive changes.

The new and notable points are that the Central Inspection Commission has focused on inspecting, handling discipline and recommending and requesting disciplinary action against 12 party organizations and 20 party members under the management of the Politburo and the Secretariat related to cases and incidents monitored and directed by the Steering Committee (including 03 members and former members of the Party Central Committee, 2 deputy ministers, 1 former provincial chairman, 1 former deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, 13 generals in the armed forces). Notably, it has inspected, clarified violations and negative acts, handled and requested to handle responsibilities for 9 groups and 29 individuals related to the reduction of Phan Sao Nam's early prison sentence.

Implementing the conclusion of the General Secretary, Head of the Steering Committee on the mechanism for directing and coordinating the handling of violations discovered during the process of inspection, examination, audit, investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution of judgments, the competent authorities have transferred more than 270 case files with signs of crime to the investigation agency for investigation and handling according to regulations (more than 4 times higher than the same period in previous years, when there was no such mechanism for directing and coordinating).

The prosecution agencies nationwide have prosecuted and investigated 2,130 cases/4,084 defendants, prosecuted 2,024 cases/4,056 defendants, and tried 1,898 cases/3,471 defendants at first instance for corruption, position-related, and economic crimes; of which, corruption crimes have been prosecuted and investigated in 266 cases/646 defendants; prosecuted 250 cases/643 defendants; and tried 214 cases/525 defendants at first instance.

Particularly, the cases and incidents under the supervision and direction of the Steering Committee have initiated 8 new cases/38 defendants, prosecuted 78 additional defendants in 14 cases; concluded the investigation of 13 cases/123 defendants, concluded additional investigations of 04 cases/52 defendants, issued indictments to prosecute 15 cases/151 defendants, tried 15 cases/86 defendants at first instance, and tried 9 cases/40 defendants at appeal. In particular, the investigation has been expanded, the nature of the acts of appropriation and corruption has been clarified, many more defendants have been prosecuted, including high-ranking officials, both incumbent and retired, and generals in the armed forces (10 officials are under the management of the Politburo and the Secretariat); initiated many new major, serious, and complicated cases, such as: Cases occurring in the medical field; cases occurred at some units under the Coast Guard Command, Border Guard; cases of violations of regulations on land management, management and use of State assets occurred in Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City... Many negative cases occurred in the field of education, taking advantage of the Covid-19 epidemic for personal gain and violations in the anti-corruption force were prosecuted and investigated.

The authorities have brought many important cases to trial, such as: (i) The case of "Violating regulations on management and use of State assets causing loss and waste; Violating regulations on land management" occurring at the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) related to the project 2-4-6 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City; (ii) The case of "Smuggling, violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences, violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences" occurring at Nhat Cuong Company and a number of related units; (iii) The case of "Giving bribes, brokering bribes, receiving bribes" related to Phan Van Anh Vu; (iv) The case of “Violating regulations on investment in construction works causing serious consequences, abusing positions and powers while performing official duties” occurred at the Phu Tho Ethanol Petrochemical and Biofuel Joint Stock Company and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Construction Corporation; (v) The case of “Violating regulations on investment in construction works causing serious consequences, Violating regulations on management and use of State assets causing loss and waste” occurred at the Phase 2 Production Renovation and Expansion Project - Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Company.

The Standing Committee of the Steering Committee believes that the work of recovering misappropriated and lost assets in cases under the supervision and direction of the Steering Committee continues to have positive changes. Since the 19th meeting of the Steering Committee, the prosecution agencies have temporarily detained, seized, frozen accounts, and prevented transactions of assets worth more than VND 1,750 billion; the Civil Judgment Enforcement Agency has recovered more than VND 9 trillion.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Van Hieu-vov

Regarding the tasks in the coming time, in his concluding remarks at the meeting, the General Secretary and Head of the Steering Committee requested Party committees and organizations at all levels to seriously and effectively implement the tasks of preventing and combating corruption and negativity in accordance with the new spirit of the Central Committee (Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW of the 4th Central Conference of the 13th tenure and Regulation No. 32-QD/TW of the Politburo); must create a new spirit, new momentum, new determination in the fight against corruption and negativity; resolutely prevent, stop, detect, and strictly handle acts of corruption and negativity, focusing on the degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle among cadres, party members, civil servants, and public employees.

In that spirit, the General Secretary proposed focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles, stepping up investigation, prosecution, trial of cases, handling of cases under the supervision and direction of the Steering Committee, striving to complete the tasks of 2021 in accordance with the Steering Committee's Plan. In particular, focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles, speeding up the verification, investigation, and strict handling of violations related to cases and incidents occurring in the health sector; cases and incidents violating regulations on land management, management, and use of State assets occurring in Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City; the case of "Giving bribes, receiving bribes; smuggling, manufacturing, and trading in counterfeit goods..." occurring in Dong Nai and a number of provinces and cities; cases occurred at a number of units under the Coast Guard Command, Border Guard... Urgently bring to first instance trial key cases: (1) Cases of "Violating regulations on investment in construction works causing serious consequences" occurring at the Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway Project; (2) Case of "Violating regulations on bidding causing serious consequences" occurring at the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment; (3) Case of "Violating regulations on management and use of State assets causing loss, waste, embezzlement of assets, lack of responsibility causing serious consequences" occurring at the Saigon Agricultural Corporation...

The Standing Committee of the Steering Committee agreed to include the handling of negative behavior of cadres and party members related to the following cases and incidents under the Steering Committee's monitoring and direction: (1) Handling of negative cadres and party members related to smuggling cases, cases of illegal transportation of currency and goods across the border, and cases of gambling and organizing gambling that occurred in An Giang; (2) Handling of negative cadres and party members in the civil service exam case in Phu Yen province; (3) Handling of negative cadres and party members in reducing the prison term for Phan Sao Nam.

The Standing Committee of the Steering Committee discussed and gave opinions to complete the draft Working Regulations of the Steering Committee (amended and supplemented) and the Decision on assigning tasks to members of the Steering Committee (amended and supplemented).