A Vietnamese court on Friday sentenced 30 individuals, including several former high-ranking officials, to prison over a major corruption scandal that reportedly cost the state more than $45 million.
The People’s Court in Hanoi delivered its verdict following a sweeping trial involving 41 defendants accused of bribery, abuse of power, and violations of bidding and contracting laws. The case is one of the latest in Vietnam’s sweeping anti-corruption drive that has already led to the removal of two presidents and three deputy prime ministers.
According to state media, 30 of the defendants were found guilty of corruption, causing estimated losses of over 1.16 trillion dong (approximately $44.6 million) to the state.
Prosecutors revealed that Nguyen Van Hau, chairman of the Phuc Son Group, paid over $5 million in bribes between 2010 and 2024 to secure contracts in multiple large-scale infrastructure projects across three provinces. Hau reportedly delivered bribes in cash-filled suitcases to the homes and offices of several officials. He received a 30-year prison sentence for his role.
Among those convicted was Hoang Thi Thuy Lan, the former Communist Party chief of Vinh Phuc province. She was handed a 14-year sentence for accepting nearly $2 million in bribes, sometimes delivered in suitcases weighing up to 60 kilograms.
“I recognise my mistakes and my crime and fully accept the indictment,” Lan told the court during her sentencing. “I would like to ask the court to reduce sentences for my comrades in the most humanitarian manner,” she pleaded.
Lawyers for Hau confirmed that he and his company have paid more than $45 million in compensation related to the damages caused.
This ruling comes just months after the sentencing of former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Hoang Quoc Vuong, who was jailed for six years in April for accepting a $57,600 bribe related to a solar power development project. His family repaid the sum prior to the judgment.
Vietnam’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, known locally as the “blazing furnace,” continues to reshape the country’s political and business landscape as authorities pursue accountability at the highest levels.
