On the afternoon of 15/12, at the Ministry of Public Security's year-end press conference, Colonel Le Khac Son, Deputy Director of the Criminal Police Department (C02), announced this. C02 is currently collaborating with police in 13 localities to review and ascertain "whether there are any violations."

A C02 representative stated that information would be released once specific results are available.

Colonel Le Khac Son at the press conference. *Photo: Pham Du*

In early December, many raised concerns about a lack of transparency within the Nuoi Em project. Allegations included unclear financial flows and violations of the "one-to-one" principle, where one code should correspond to one child.

In Nghe An, the provincial police announced they had received complaints from many benefactors. These complaints requested verification of suspicions related to the financial transparency and management of the "Nuoi Em - Nghe An" project.

Responding to the "guardians'" concerns, on the evening of 7/12, Hoang Hoa Trung admitted to shortcomings in the conduct of some volunteers, such as displaying a "debt collection" attitude and challenging sponsors. Regarding finances, he stated that the account receiving funds has been dedicated to charity since 2018, separate from personal expenses. Project operating costs are covered by interest from undisbursed deposits and separate sponsorships from philanthropists for organizational work. Regarding suspicions of duplicate codes, Trung asserted that no such cases had been recorded before 6/12, and a comprehensive data review is underway to provide a conclusive answer.

Hoang Hoa Trung, founder of the Nuoi Em project. *Photo: Character's Facebook*

The Nuoi Em charity project was initiated by Hoang Hoa Trung, 35, in 2014, along with the Anh Sang Nui Rung volunteer group. For the first 4 years, the project only provided lunch support for dozens of children in mountainous regions.

In 2018, Trung transitioned to a "one guardian, one child" model, utilizing technology to provide codes, child information, and updated images. From then on, Nuoi Em became a charity project embraced by thousands.

To participate, each "guardian" contributes 1.450.000 VND per school year, covering food and facilities costs. Beneficiaries include preschool children and students from grade 1 to 12 in remote, mountainous villages who do not receive State food assistance or receive it at a low level.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the project announced a record number of over 120.000 "guardians," covering more than 900 of the most disadvantaged communes in Dien Bien, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Dak Lak, and Gia Lai provinces.