Why do officials and civil servants who understand the law still participate in gambling?

Headquarters of Hau Loc District People's Committee, where Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee Nguyen Van Long gambled in his office. (Photo: TL)

Caught red-handed many officials and civil servants participating in gambling

Thanh Hoa province closed May 2020 with sad news about two officials being arrested while participating in gambling.

Accordingly, on May 31, Mr. Bui Quoc Toan, 60 years old, Head of the Civil Servants and Public Employees Department, Department of Home Affairs of Thanh Hoa province was arrested by the authorities while playing cards with 3 other subjects at his private home in the Urban Area North of Le Loi Avenue (Binh Minh area).

Also on May 31, at around 11 p.m., in Hau Loc district, member of the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee Nguyen Van Long and Head of the Finance and Planning Department Le Duy Hung were also caught red-handed gambling with two other subjects. Mr. Long is 51 years old, and Mr. Hung is 53 years old, both are key officials, the source of key local officials.

Previously, on May 21, 2020, Son Tay District Police, Quang Ngai Province arrested 10 people who were gambling in the form of dice shaking at the house of Phan Ngoc Quy (1998) in Tan Via village, Son Dung commune. Among those participating in the gambling were 4 civil servants, working at the District Labor Federation, District Treasury; Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities in Son Tan commune and Son Long commune.

In Hanoi, Mr. Le Van Ngoc, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Cao Vien Commune, Thanh Oai District, and Mr. Vu Hong Toan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Quang Commune, Quoc Oai District, were also disciplined for participating in gambling.

It can be said that by participating in gambling, the above-mentioned officials and civil servants have put an end to their own political careers. At the same time, they will also have to face disciplinary actions and penalties prescribed by law. Typically, Mr. Le Van Ngoc, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Cao Vien Commune, Thanh Oai District and Mr. Vu Hong Toan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Quang Commune, Quoc Oai District, have both been removed from the local leadership personnel planning for the new term.

Regarding the situation of cadres and civil servants participating in gambling, recently on June 1, Deputy Secretary of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, Do Minh Tuan signed and issued Official Letter No. 1707-CV/TU. The content of the Official Letter clearly stated: "Some cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees participate in gambling, participate in social evils..."; "Those limitations have affected the prestige of Party committees and Party organizations...". Therefore, Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee requires Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, Fatherland Front, departments, branches and organizations to strengthen inspection, supervision and enforcement of Party discipline; strictly handle cases of cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees violating the law.

Need to be strictly handled according to regulations

Public opinion raises the question, why do officials and civil servants who are knowledgeable about the law still participate in gambling and violate the law? Most officials and civil servants, when arrested for gambling, consider it just entertainment, not gambling. This simple, short-sighted way of thinking has led to some officials in many localities carelessly participating in gambling regardless of the provisions of the law. For officials and party members, this is also a serious violation of the Party Charter, a violation of the ethics of officials and public service ethics. Therefore, the acts of gambling and organizing gambling by officials will be subject to strict sanctions.

Many opinions say that the fact that officials and civil servants know that gambling is a violation of the law but still deliberately participate is a manifestation of contempt for the law, a manifestation of moral and lifestyle degradation. The above incidents are a warning bell about the worrying situation, a manifestation of moral and lifestyle degradation of a significant number of party members, officials, civil servants and public employees. Any citizen, especially state officials, must live and work according to the law. It is possible that officials and civil servants participating in gambling are people with expertise and qualifications, but due to lack of self-cultivation, love of fun; being enticed, enticed by others, participating out of respect or because of bad habits of the area, locality during each holiday, New Year, gathering... Regardless of the reason, the act of participating in gambling, organizing gambling is also an act of violating the law; officials and civil servants participating in this act can hardly justify their violations. And when arrested and prosecuted for gambling, officials who participate in gambling not only "lose their reputation" but also affect the prestige of their agency, the honor of their family; and especially, undermine the people's trust in the team of officials and civil servants at the grassroots level.

Photo cut from clip of Mr. Le Van Ngoc, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Cao Vien commune, Thanh Oai district, participating in gambling.

According to Lawyer Nguyen An Binh, Article 321 of the 2015 Penal Code stipulates that the act of gambling with an amount from VND 5,000,000 to under VND 50,000,000, the offender will face a penalty of a fine from VND 20,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, a non-custodial reform sentence of up to 03 years or a prison sentence from 06 months to 03 years. In case the money or objects used for gambling are worth VND 50,000,000 or more, the penalty is imprisonment from 03 years to 07 years.

In addition, according to the provisions of the Party Charter, the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants; the Law on Public Employees, cadres, civil servants, officials, and party members who participate in gambling and are subject to criminal prosecution may be dismissed, forced to quit their jobs, and disciplined at the highest level of expulsion from the Party.

From another perspective, detecting and strictly handling cadres and party members who lack training, are degenerate, corrupt, live a depraved life, and indulge in social evils such as gambling is extremely necessary. Especially at a time when party organizations are preparing personnel for congresses, this detection and handling is also the basis for us to eliminate from the public apparatus those who lack moral qualities; thereby helping to clean up the team of cadres and civil servants.

In order to prevent the situation of officials and civil servants gambling, in addition to the investigation and arrest work of the police force, agencies and units also need to have resolute measures to strictly handle and manage officials and civil servants who do not participate in gambling, resolutely handle, not cover up, or ignore. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the role and responsibility of setting an example of the heads of agencies and units in "saying no to gambling"./.