In one of the biggest bribery cases in the recent history of the country, a number of public officials have been found guilty of offering bribes in order to be appointed as rescue charter flights providers.
A court in Hanoi has recently found 54 individuals – including businesspeople and public officials – guilty of corruption in a massive case concerning the delivery and acceptance of bribes from Vietnamese citizens abroad who wanted to return to the country during the period when the borders were closed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As commercial flights were not available at that time, bribes were offered to be able to access to “rescue flights” organized by the government. Several companies offered bribes in order to be appointed as rescue charter flights providers, whereas people allegedly paid officials so that rescue flights were scheduled. The court condemned the convicted individuals to different prison terms.
The case and the judgment received widespread publicity in Vietnam, since it is one of the biggest bribery cases in the recent history of the country and, among the people involved, is a former deputy ministry of foreign affairs.
