Hanoi (VNA) – Bold steps were made to handle serious corruption cases during the first half of the year, including many related to ministries, sectors and localities, in line with the motto of “no off-limits zones and no exceptions”, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs Nguyen Huu Dong said on August 14.

At a press briefing held in Hanoi to announce the outcomes of the 28th meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena, Dong said during the six-month span, investigations were launched into 2,836 cases involving 5,975 suspects for corruption, economy, and position-related charges, up 841 and 1,487 from the same period of 2023, respectively. They include 475 corruption cases with 1,094 suspects.

Among those under the Central Steering Committee's supervision, eight cases with 212 defendants were brought to first-instance trials while six others with 39 defendants underwent appeal hearing.

A hearing is now underway for the wrongdoings at the Vietnam Register, and some registration centres for motor vehicles and inland waterway vessels in Ho Chi Minh City and other localities.

He added that in the remainder of the year, the committee will focus on directing competent sides to remove roadblocks to asset appraisal and valuation, document provision, legal assistance, as well as the arrest and extradition of fugitives, while tackling challenges to asset recovery in corruption cases, taking strong measures to address petty corruption that cause troubles to people and enterprises, and accelerating investigation into serious and complicated corruption cases.

Focus will be given to the investigation and settlement of the cases under the committee' supervision, especially those related to the Hanoi-based Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC Group), Xuyen Viet Oil, Vietnam Electricity, Thuan An Group, Phuc Son Group and Van Thinh Phat Group, among others, Dong stressed.

Meanwhile, Major General Hoang Anh Tuyen, Deputy Chief of the Office and Spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, provided the latest information on the probes into the wrongdoings at Phuc Son and Thuan An.

He said eight defendants have been prosecuted in the Thuan An case, admitted to their irregularities, and paid 62 billion VND (2.47 million USD) and 42,000 USD to recover losses.

As for Phuc Son case, 23 persons have been put into temporary detention for investigation, while over 300 billion VND, 2 million USD, 500 taels of gold (a tael equals 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces), and over 1,000 land use right certificates of those involved in this case have been seized so far.

More documen⛎ts and evidence are being collected to expand the investigations and recover the lost and misappropriated properties, he added./.