Hanoi, (VNA) - Party General Secretaryand State President Nguyen Phu Trong on May 26 directed that the fight against corruptionbe enhanced and put the common interest above all else, noting that the fight continuesdespite unexpected major incidents like the COVID-19 outbreak.

He made the direction while chairing a meetingof permanent members of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, in whichhe serves as head.

Participants shared the view that sincethe Committee’s 17th session on January 15, despite the complex developments COVID-19created, corruption prevention and control, including the settlement of casesunder the Committee’s monitoring, have forged ahead.

The Central Public Security Party Committee, theCentral Military Commission’s Standing Board, the Party units at the SupremePeople’s Procuracy and the Supreme People’s Court, and the Party CentralCommittee’s Commission for Internal Affairs have directed relevant agencies to boostcoordination to finish the verification of one incident and the investigationof eight cases with 49 persons involved, prosecute four cases with 30 personsinvolved, complete first-instance trials of six cases with 17 defendants, andhold appeal trials of three cases with 34 defendants.

Civil judgment-executing bodies have recoverednearly 7.6 trillion VND (326.3 million USD). Investigation agencies haveseized, frozen accounts, and prevented the transaction of assets worth 773.37billion VND and 2.23 million USD, along with 34 properties, five automobiles,and many other assets, the meeting heard.

The Party Central Committee’s InspectionCommission has also disciplined and proposed competent authorities to deal with onePolitburo member, one former member of the Party Central Committee, and twoformer deputy ministers linked with wrongdoings in cases and incidents underthe Central Steering Committee’s monitoring.

Those outcomes have continued to assert theParty and State’s resolve to combat corruption and been highly valued by thepublic, according to the Committee’s permanent members.

Addressing the meeting, Party and State leader Trongsaid that despite COVID-19 and a heavy workload, including preparations for all-levelParty congresses, the battle against corruption and negative phenomena has not ceased but, on the contrary, indeed forged ahead.

He requested that everyone steer clear ofoverconfidence, noting that it’s a very short period of time between now andthe 13th National Party Congress but much remains to be done.

Calling for stronger efforts in the corruption fight,he said prevention and control must be carried out in a stringent, prompt, butalso prudent and persuasive manner that is open to public opinion, ensures solidarity,and puts the common interest above all./.