General Vinh and General Hoa committed crimes: The ugly black car scraping train

These days, the Ministry of Public Security is simultaneously carrying out two major tasks that are receiving special attention and monitoring from society. One is to implement the Project on a number of issues on continuing to innovate and streamline the Ministry of Public Security apparatus to operate effectively and efficiently. The other is to detect, fight, and screen out negative elements, self-transformation, evolution, group interests, and even those who have fallen to the point of becoming criminals.

Both events, according to the people, are considered major events; in terms of scale and level, they have never happened before in the history of the country's police force. There seems to be a connection between these two major events. The current state of the apparatus and the negative aspects that have arisen within the police force, for a long time ago, have forced the need to innovate and reorganize the apparatus to make it more streamlined, effective and efficient. Successfully implementing the project is also aimed at limiting and eliminating negative aspects that have happened before; restoring and strengthening the trust of the people and the Party in the "sword and shield" force that has been loved by the people and trusted by the Party.

16 years ago, the country's police force also encountered a heartbreaking incident, when 13 officers and soldiers, including 2 generals and deputy ministers, were involved in the Nam Cam case. Many of them had been trained and tested through practical battles, had made achievements, were awarded the title of Hero, and held important positions in the force. However, they stumbled before the material power of the mafia gang.

Looking back at the "cluster" fall 16 years ago, I realized that there were many similarities and points with the recent cases that involved many police officers in trouble and committing crimes. There were also signs of abuse and exploitation of power for personal gain. There were also signs and behaviors of covering up, protecting, and being complicit with criminals. Also being targeted in a major investigation, using local troops to investigate and capture criminals in the Ministry's army. Also being prosecuted, indicted, sentenced to prison, disciplined, and having their reputation ruined...

The painful lesson of 16 years ago seems to have been forgotten. Some key cadres in the force, over the years, have not taken it to heart to remind themselves. They have fallen, also on the path of unlimited material greed, leading to the abyss with manifestations of scale, level and seriousness multiplied. This criminal group not only protects but also shows signs of harboring criminals, being complicit with criminals. They do not commit crimes individually but show signs of interest groups, being organized, having superiors and subordinates, and showing blatant, recklessness, and disregard. The material benefits they share are also "huge" many times over: tens of percent of thousands of billions of dong!

It is especially dangerous when they - criminals who are located right in the crime prevention agency, commit crimes right in the crime prevention agency. Criminals who are shielded and protected by power will be free to act outrageously, causing harm to society, and are many times more dangerous than ordinary criminals.

Imagine, when criminals in society are protected by crime prevention officers, they will grow more wings and fangs, and the consequences they cause to society will be severe, multifaceted and long-lasting?

Imagine, when the generals in charge of crime prevention become accomplices, accomplices with criminals in society? Not to mention the danger of the signs of the mafia sprouting in our society, just talking about the discipline of the law, social order, the prestige of the force, personal honor - concepts that are noble and serious, will then become humorous.

The downfall of Generals Phan Van Vinh and Nguyen Thanh Hoa came at a rather typical time, when the entire Party and the entire People were united in fighting against internal invaders; when the furnace of corruption, degeneration, and negativity was at its peak; when officers and soldiers of the entire police force were studying and following the moral example and ideology of Ho Chi Minh every day, imbibing the 6 things he taught the people's police... This was also the period when many cases of using high technology for gambling, fraud, and money laundering occurred, causing many families to be ruined and society to be insecure.

These two subjects committed the crime at a time when one was close to retirement age, the other was granted an extension of his retirement age by his superiors. Normally, at this rather sensitive time, they should know how to keep themselves, demonstrate their innocence and kindness. But they saw this as a “golden opportunity”, taking advantage of it to compromise, connect, and collude with criminals, making the last train with an ugly black car filled with greed. This is a lesson in the work of managing and supervising power:

At the "sunset of the term", people do not necessarily return to kindness peacefully, but also easily develop greed, ready to commit crimes "to fill their greedy pockets".

From the Nam Cam case to the high-tech gambling and money laundering cases and several other cases involving a number of high-ranking police officers, many practical lessons have been learned, especially useful for heads of agencies with crime prevention functions. Be cautious and vigilant against the tricks of abusing or exploiting professional measures to calculate personal and group interests, damaging the reputation of the organization and harming national interests.

Be alert, promptly detect and prevent acts of protection, nurturing, even fostering criminals, creating "backyard criminals" to serve personal or group plots. Delegate power and absolutely trust officials, but regularly use monitoring and inspection mechanisms to restrain and prevent acts of abuse of power, use of unlimited power...

Facing the unsavory reality is a way to gain courage to overcome it. Looking deeply into the negative manifestations in the police force recently is to identify and patch the gaps in the mechanism.

Now, crime prevention agencies must sharpen their weapons tenfold, to have enough strength to fight, prevent and attack crimes in society, and have enough determination and courage to fight, detect and eliminate crimes within their own organizations and forces. The warnings about "swarms of worms" or "negativity within agencies and organizations with the function of preventing negativity" that high-ranking leaders of the Party and State have repeatedly noted and emphasized are not a distant story. From Phan Van Vinh, Nguyen Thanh Hoa, Phan Van Anh Vu... in the police force, it shows that the requirement to innovate, reorganize the apparatus, purify the team, and monitor power, "lock power in a cage of legislative regulations", as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said, is more urgent than ever.