Former food safety chief: fake milk companies 'voluntarily gave money'

The presiding judge questioned the former head of Hoa Binh province's food safety department's claim that a fake milk company 'voluntarily gave 2,2 billion dong', stating that 'no one simply gives billions of dong to another'.

Bui Dinh Thi Dinh, 47, former head of the Hoa Binh provincial food safety department, is on trial at the Hanoi People's Court for bribery. She stands accused in a case involving the production of 187,000 boxes of fake milk intended for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. During her testimony, Dinh claimed the companies 'voluntarily gave' her 2,2 billion dong, a statement met with skepticism by the presiding judge.

Prosecutors accuse Dinh of meeting Hoang Manh Ha and Vu Manh Cuong, directors of Rance Pharma and Hacofood milk companies. They allegedly sought her 'facilitation' in approving product registration applications.

Dinh then instructed specialist Bui Thi Trang to directly assist the businesses. Over one year, the department approved 304 milk applications from these companies, each incurring a fee of 5-7 million dong. Trang received a total of 2,48 billion dong, sharing nearly 2,2 billion dong with Dinh.

Aside from Dinh, both the individuals who gave and received the money have admitted to the charges.

"I didn't demand it"

Dinh, with graying hair and a hunched back, experienced health issues and received medical attention from the court before her testimony. Three officers escorted her into the courtroom, where she was allowed to sit while responding.

The former department head asserted she did not actively demand or 'set prices' for approving applications. She claimed that meetings with company representatives were routine administrative procedures, and that submitting applications was the companies' right, with her role limited to guiding them to follow regulations.

"Why would administrative procedures require meeting the department head directly, especially since the head is less familiar with the procedures than the staff?", the presiding judge questioned. Dinh replied, "Perhaps they also wanted to offer some assistance."

She maintained that she had delegated the task to Trang, stating, "The financial arrangements were between Trang and the businesses," and "I could not control how much Trang demanded."

"Who is the department head, you or Trang, if you claim you couldn't control it? Businesses met with you first, then you delegated the task to Trang. Trang received the money and gave most of it to you; how can you say you couldn't control it? Don't you see people in the courtroom laughing when you say that?", the judge pressed.

Dinh hesitated for a long time, then stated, "I didn't demand anything"; the money was given 'voluntarily' by the company.

"No one gives billions of dong to a stranger," the presiding judge said. Dinh continued to insist, "The businesses said they gave it voluntarily."

Defendant Dinh at court. *Photo: Danh Lam*

"Cannot recall the amount received"

Continuing to question the illicit gains, the court noted the indictment stated Trang transferred over 700 million dong to Dinh, with the remainder given in cash. Trang herself received 302 million dong.

When asked, "Did you just accept the money shared by your subordinate without asking where it came from?", Dinh claimed her subordinate reported it as 'gratitude from the businesses'. She considered it pure gratitude and did not inquire further.

She only acknowledged the amount shown in her bank account, giving inconsistent statements about whether she received cash from her subordinate. Initially, Dinh stated she "could not recall how much cash she received", but after a few minutes of contemplation, she asserted she did not receive any cash from Trang.

Trang, however, confirmed that the 'rate' of 5-7 million dong per application was instructed by Dinh herself. When businesses asked for Trang's account number for transfers, Trang testified that Dinh told her, "You can receive it on my behalf; it's fine."

"At first, I lacked understanding and thought receiving it on her behalf would have no impact, so I accepted it," Trang stated, explaining that she was on maternity leave at the time and wanted to "earn extra money for diapers and milk", thus receiving an additional one million dong per application.

According to the indictment, Trang benefited by 302 million dong and is being prosecuted for the same offense as Dinh.

After hearing the court's analysis of the evidence and testimonies, and receiving legal counsel, Dinh admitted to the actions and the amount of money as stated in the indictment.

After concluding her testimony, she was again escorted by three officers to the medical care area.