Deputy foreign minister, deputy PM’s assistant dismissed over repatriation corruption

The decision to dismiss was signed Tuesday by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai in place of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Linh was arrested Tuesday to be investigated for taking bribes. Dung was arrested April 14 for the same reason.

Nguyen Quang Linh, assistant to Vietnam’s Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh. Photo courtesy of the police

Dung and Linh were also also expelled from the Communist Party on Tuesday. The Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in charge of personnel affairs at the Party, said Linh had abused his position, violated working regulations and principles, as well as the Party’s regulations and the state’s laws while organizing flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Dung was also expelled for negligence and violating regulations in the organization of Covid-19 repatriation flights.

Vietnam organized around 800 repatriation flights and brought back over 200,000 citizens from over 60 countries and territories after the pandemic struck.

Many people had to buy very expensive tickets and undergo troublesome procedures to get a flight home.

A total of 19 people have been arrested on accusations of taking and giving bribes, and committing fraud, including officials at the Ministry of Public Security, the Health Ministry, the Transport Ministry, the Government Office and businesspeople.