Fixing corruption consequences should take precedence over criminal charges: prosecutor

At a conference held to review 10 years of the anti-corruption campaign in Hanoi on Thursday, the head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam said fighting corruption is a complex task.

In the fight, retrieving lost and stolen public wealth is also an important mission along with preventing graft and dealing with offenders.

In China, when violations are found, prosecutors require offenders to set right the consequences, and only take them to court if they fail to do so, he said.

Vietnam should also do more to prevent corruption and resort less to prosecution, giving violators the opportunity to right their wrongs, he said.

“That way we can retrieve most of the lost assets since violators would do it to avoid being prosecuted. We also do not need to burden ourselves with how to deal with our officials and comrades.”

Criminal masterminds should be dealt with strictly, but those who are forced to follow their lead should receive lighter punishments, he said. If they cooperate with authorities and address the consequences, the punishment should be even lighter, he said.

Penal provisions for Party members committing violations are “too severe,” affecting their ability to do their job for fear of false accusations, he said.

There should be policies to promote social development, encourage innovation and eliminate risks for people doing things in good faith, he said, pointing out, “Deliberately committing wrongdoing and trying to be creative can involve the same actions.”