The Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Economic, and Smuggling Crimes (C03) has recommended the prosecution of Nguyen Nang Manh, former chairman of MediUSA Company, on three charges: producing and trading counterfeit food, foodstuffs, and food additives; violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences; and bribery.

Do Manh Hoang, director of MediPhar Company, and Khuc Minh Vu, director of Viet Duc Company, are recommended for prosecution on two charges: producing and trading counterfeit food, foodstuffs, and food additives; and violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences.

In the same case, Nguyen The Viet, former deputy director of the Customs Control and Supervision Department; Nguyen Huu Tuan, former deputy head of Supervision Room 5, Customs Control and Supervision Department; and Phan Cong Chien, former head of the Pharmaceutical Business Management Department, Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health, are recommended for prosecution on bribery charges.

Suspect Nguyen Danh Dung, former officer of Room 4, Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Police Department (C05, Ministry of Public Security), is accused of intentionally disclosing work secrets.

Nguyen Nang Manh at the investigation agency. Photo: VTV

According to investigation findings, Nguyen Nang Manh served not only as chairman of MediUSA Company but also as director of MegaPharco Company, deputy director owning 70% of shares in MediPhar Company, and a founding shareholder of Hung Phuong Company.

Since 2016, Manh, Hoang, and Vu organized and operated 12 companies and two factories, MediPhar and MediUSA, to produce and distribute a large volume and diverse range of fake functional foods. Manh employed the tactic of printing on product packaging and labels that they were imported from the United States and Europe. In reality, the products were mainly imported from China and bought from the black market.

Regarding quality standards, many components achieved less than 30% of their declared content. The target consumers for these products were primarily the elderly and children.

C03 concluded that a total of 88 fake functional food products were valued at over 539 billion VND. Through this scheme, suspect Manh gained 264 billion VND in illicit profits.

Additionally, Manh excluded more than 143 billion VND from accounting records, causing losses to state assets, and offered bribes totaling over 4,5 billion VND.

Previously, in a major case at the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health), all 34 state leaders and officials who received money were found guilty of bribery by the trial court. Among them, former director Nguyen Thanh Phong was sentenced to 20 years in prison for receiving 44 billion VND, and former director Tran Thi Viet Nga received 15 years for accepting 8 billion VND.

The trial court noted that during the 2018-2025 period, some leaders and specialists of the Food Safety Department exploited vague legal regulations to "establish a 'give-and-take' mechanism and systematic bribery" across multiple management stages. The former director initiated the policy of accepting money beyond official fees, stipulated the division of bribe money, and directed subordinates to agree on this policy.