Hanoi court hands down sentences in rescue flight case
The Hanoi People's Court on December 27 sentenced 17 defendants in the second phase of the rescue flight case on charges of “giving bribes, accepting bribes, abusing positions and power while performing duties, and concealing crimes”.
Tran Tung, 46, former Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen provincial Department of External Affairs, received a 7-year prison term for accepting bribes and 5 years for abusing positions and power while performing duties, resulting in a total sentence of 12 years behind bars.
Other 15 officials from Quang Nam and Hai Duong provinces, along with business representatives, received sentences ranging from 12-18 month probation to prison terms of 2 to 7 years and 6 months for their roles in giving and taking bribes.
Nguyen Xuan Thong, a 49-year-old former public security officer, was sentenced to a 12-month probation for concealing crimes.
The scandal first came to light in early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic left thousands of Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad. In response, the Vietnamese Government arranged repatriation flights, commonly referred to as rescue flights, to bring them home.
However, as demand surged and logistics challenges grew, a working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated the repatriation process involving multiple ministries.
Several officials and business representatives allegedly abused their roles to approve flights in exchange for bribes. Some were accused of instructing others to cover up these criminal activities, obstructing the investigation.
