After a 9-day trial and deliberation, on the afternoon of 7/4, the Hanoi People's Court announced sentences for 23 defendants in a bribery and bid rigging case involving numerous former officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Among the five individuals charged with receiving bribes, former Deputy Minister Hoang Van Thang was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The highest sentence, 13 years in prison, was given to Tran Van Lang, former Director of Department 2 of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who received 13.4 billion dong in bribes.

Former Deputy Minister Hoang Van Thang (in a gray shirt) listens to the verdict on the afternoon of 7/4. *Photo: Danh Lam*

Nguyen Van Dan, Director of Hoang Dan Company, was sentenced to 9 years for violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences; 3 years for violating accounting regulations, causing serious consequences; and 2 years for giving bribes. His combined sentence for the three crimes totals 14 years.

In addition to his prison sentence, he must pay a further 270 billion dong in compensation to the Ministry of Agriculture, after deducting previously paid amounts.

The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from 3 years suspended to 7 years in prison for violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences.

Illicit gains from bribery were ordered to be confiscated and transferred to the state budget. The defendants have so far returned nearly 31 billion dong, with Tran Van Lang still owing more than 9 billion dong of the 13.4 billion dong he received.

The Judicial Council deemed the defendants' actions particularly serious, causing significant consequences, eroding public trust, and undermining fairness, transparency, healthy competition, and the efficient use of state funds in public projects.

The defendants, as former leaders and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, violated the integrity and reputation of the agency, undermined the integrity of public office holders, weakened the administrative apparatus, and diminished public trust.

However, during sentencing, the Judicial Council considered mitigating factors such as: their achievements and contributions in their work, old age, illness, and active efforts to remedy the consequences.

Defendant Nguyen Van Dan (front row, striped shirt), Director of Hoang Dan Company, along with other defendants, listens to the verdict on the afternoon of 7/4. *Photo: Danh Lam*

The 23 defendants were involved in facilitating Hoang Dan Company to win five bidding packages across four projects: the construction of Krong Pach Thuong Lake in Dak Lak province, Ban Mong Lake in Nghe An province, Ban Lai Lake in Lang Son province, and Canh Tang Lake in Hoa Binh province.

Director Dan also used two accounting systems to legalize expenditures, violating accounting regulations and causing nearly 100 billion dong in state asset losses.

During his testimony, former Deputy Minister Thang claimed he was close to businesses and therefore hosted them at his home. His subordinate, former Deputy Department Head Nguyen Hai Thanh, currently a fugitive, sent a letter from Canada explaining that he accepted bribes because he "was in dire need of money."

Also in court, Director Dan listed various seized assets, including gold and land, and expressed his desire for them to be sold to quickly remedy the consequences.

Thanh Lam