The appellate court of the Supreme People's Court in Hanoi is scheduled to open a hearing on 6/5. This hearing will consider the appeals of two former Food Safety Department directors, Tran Viet Nga and Nguyen Thanh Phong, who were sentenced to 15 and 20 years in prison respectively for receiving bribes in the first-instance trial.

Two former deputy directors, Nguyen Hung Long and Do Huu Tuan, who received 12 and 7-year sentences in the first-instance trial, along with 31 others, also requested reduced sentences or suspended sentences. The remaining 20 individuals in the case did not appeal.

The two former Food Safety Department directors at the first-instance trial in january. Photo: Danh Lam.

The first-instance verdict in january determined that during the period 2018-2025, some leaders and specialists of the Food Safety Department exploited vague legal regulations. They established a "give-and-take" mechanism (a system of unofficial payments for official approvals), systematically receiving bribes across various management stages.

The main violations occurred in the assessment and issuance of product declaration registration certificates; advertising content confirmation certificates; and the assessment, post-inspection, and issuance of GMP certificates. Specifically, the issuance of product declaration registration certificates was "quoted" at 5-10 million VND per application, facilitated by intermediary individuals and businesses.

In total, Phong, Nga, and 32 subordinates received bribes from 21 individuals and businesses. These bribes totaled 93,7 billion VND for issuing registration certificates, 12,7 billion VND for advertising permits, and 1 billion VND related to GMP certifications.

The total amount paid in bribes by the defendants was 77,4 billion VND, while 27,5 billion VND is still under investigation.

In court, 40 of the 55 defendants cried, expressing remorse and regret. The two former department directors offered their apologies, acknowledging their lost honor. They realized that once entangled in prison, wealth, position, and fame held no meaning, and that the most important thing, their greatest desire now, was freedom.

The court sentenced 34 individuals for receiving bribes, with Phong receiving the highest sentence of 20 years, and the lowest being a 30-month suspended sentence. Among these was Nga's husband, former department head Le Hoang, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

For the group of 21 individuals who gave bribes, the lightest sentence was a 15-month suspended sentence, and the heaviest was 5 years and 6 months in prison.

Thus, among the 55 defendants, the judicial panel issued 12 suspended sentences and 43 fixed-term prison sentences, ranging from 18 months to 20 years.

The judicial panel assessed that the defendants' criminal acts spanned many years, involving collusion among many leaders and managers in state administration and food safety law enforcement. These violations carried many potential consequences, potentially leading to substandard and unidentifiable food circulating in the market, directly threatening consumers' health and lives.

Beyond the sentences, the judicial panel also highlighted many shortcomings in state management of food safety. It recommended that competent authorities research and issue regulations to enhance the transparency of administrative processes and procedures in this sector.

Thanh Lam