General Cuong: 'There are still loopholes for many people to escape punishment by seeking medical treatment'

After the 12th Party Congress, especially after the 4th Central Conference, major cases were brought up such asTrinh Xuan Thanh case, the Oil and Gas Group and most recently, disciplining a series of officials. Never before have we acted so strongly and with such results.

Major General Le Van Cuong, former Director of the Institute of Strategy, Ministry of Public Security, said that along with the Trinh Xuan Thanh case, the recent Central Inspection Committee's discipline of a series of officials demonstrated the political determination of the Party, of the highest levels of the Party from the General Secretary to the Politburo. This strengthened the trust of Party members and people in the Party.

He said that corruption did not appear overnight but has been there for 30-40 years, at least since the 1986 renovation period and we have had nearly 100 Central resolutions dealing with corruption and degradation. The National Assembly also has resolutions, and the Government has an action plan on this matter.

Major General Le Van Cuong. Photo: Le Anh Dung

“We have done many things, but most clearly after the 12th Congress, this determination was shown much more clearly. Within just one year, dozens of high-ranking officials related to the Formosa case, Trinh Xuan Thanh, the Southwest Steering Committee and a series of other cases such as Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa... I think this way of doing things shows the seriousness and strictness of the Party,” Major General Le Van Cuong emphasized.

According to him, cadres and party members are very assured and happy with the Party's political determination to overcome and push back corruption, bureaucracy, and degeneration by all means, and this has been done with results.

"Never before have we worked so hard and achieved so many results," General Cuong affirmed.

There are still loopholes for many people to escape by medical treatment.

Regarding the question General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong raised at the recent meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption: "Should we take measures to prevent the phenomenon of people fleeing abroad before being tried, or being sick, having high blood pressure, or having this or that illness, delaying the trial?", General Cuong said that this is a real reality.

In the past 3 years, there have been many cases where people were about to go to trial and were hospitalized. Some were really sick, some were pretending to be sick.

The General Secretary's request is correct. The General Secretary raises the issue and puts it in the face of reality like that, so how should we handle it? Perhaps the state management agency should consider that when someone is prosecuted, they must definitely not be allowed to go abroad, and must have monitoring measures.

We have been too careless recently, many people have escaped by going for medical treatment. But it is not only us but also China, 5,000 mid-high ranking officials have fled abroad for crimes, in the past 3 years about 2,000 have surrendered and returned.

The General Secretary's statement raises a series of issues for executive, judicial, and legislative agencies to take measures to overcome.

First, we must monitor those who have problems and prosecute them. Second, the health authorities must be objective. When people declare illness, a medical board must be organized to evaluate it.

Recent practice has forced agencies to review their operations, including supplementing laws and organizing forces.

The important knot is untied

National Assembly Deputy Luu Binh Nhuong also said that up to now we have had regulations and have implemented anti-corruption work, especially for criminals who have fled abroad.

National Assembly Delegate Luu Binh Nhuong. Photo: Pham Hai

However, after the Trinh Xuan Thanh case, it can be said that there are certain loopholes in personnel management.

“When such signs are seen, the agencies should have managed more closely, but we have not been able to do this. We need to learn from experience,” Deputy Nhuong noted.

Regarding the litigation process in the Trinh Xuan Thanh case, Deputy Luu Binh Nhuong said that previously it was related to the issue of wanted persons, and now it is related to the issue of surrender.

“In terms of law, surrender is one of the procedures that has been prescribed by procedural law. Now people will accept this surrender to carry out the investigation process in accordance with the provisions of procedural law. And the surrender is considered a mitigating circumstance according to the provisions of procedural law,” said Deputy Nhuong.

He believes that with the appearance of Trinh Xuan Thanh, the most important knot in this case will be untied.

"The surrender could be one of the bases to untie some of the knots related to the investigation process as well as the nature of the case," said Deputy Nhuong.

According to Vietnamnet