Fugitives abroad should be prosecuted, asserts Party chief

Addressing a meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negative Action in Hanoi Friday, he called for more drastic and concerted action.

Institutions have to be perfected to close gaps in anti-corruption activities; and inspection, supervision and auditing should be strengthened.

Violations will be handled strictly with no restricted area or exceptions, irrespective of who is involved, Trong asserted.

This approach is evident in recent disciplinary actions and criminal prosecution of many party organizations and members, including members of the Central Committee, ministers, deputy ministers, secretaries, chairmen of provinces and many other senior officials, he noted.

For the first time, three members of the Central Committee were dismissed from their positions; as also three chairmen of provincial People’s Councils and People’s Committees.

Such unsparing action should be continued, Trong said.

Alongside strict handling of violations, officials of limited ability and low reputation should be replaced promptly at all levels, he added.

Trong reiterated that the fight against corruption will not discourage officials and Party members, only those with “impure motives.”

In fact, the stronger the fight against corruption and wrongdoing, the stronger the Party will emerge with people’s confidence strengthened in its leadership, he said.

Furthermore, the governance apparatus will be cleaner and become more disciplined, making an important contribution to socio-economic development, he added.

Trong noted that the fight against corruption was always a difficult, complicated and prolonged task. As the country develops and deepens international integration at a fast pace, corruption will become increasingly complicated and unpredictable, take place within and outside the country, in public and private sectors and through individual as well as collective action.

“This requires us to continue to push forward, resolutely, persistently, without stopping, without resting, with higher determination and stronger, drastic, more urgent actions…,” he said.

The Party chief asked concerned agencies to speed up progress on existing corruption cases so that several tasks can be completed by the end of the year including the closing of investigations in 11 cases and the initiation of legal proceedings in 9 others.

Actions should also be expedited in cases related to the Viet A Company, the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Van Thinh Phat Corp and the AIC Company, he said.

The meeting heard that since the beginning of their 13th term, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Inspection Committee have disciplined 67 officials, including 7 members of the Party Central Committee and 6 former members of the Party Central Committee.

For the first time, the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat have removed three members from the 13th Party Central Committee; dismissed one chairman of a provincial People’s Council and two chairmen of provincial People’s Committees.

Concerned agencies have temporarily seized assets, blocked accounts and prevented transactions of assets worth more than VND160 trillion ($6.7 billion), it was reported at the meeting.