Former Deputy Minister Truong Quoc Cuong was recommended 7-8 years in prison

On May 14, the People’s Court of Hanoi continued to try 13 defendants in the case of irresponsibility causing serious consequences; Abuse of positions and powers while on official duty and trading in counterfeit medicines being medicines occurred at the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health), VN Pharma Company and a number of related units.

Defendant Truong Quoc Cuong lacked sincerity, so he was recommended a heavy sentence Tran Cuong

“Not really sincere about criminal acts”

At the end of the interrogation to move on to the debate, the representative of the Hanoi People’s Procuracy (VKS) gave his opinion on the settlement of the case and proposed the sentence for each defendant. Accordingly, the defendant Truong Quoc Cuong, former Deputy Minister of Healthwas proposed a sentence of 7-8 years in prison for the crime of irresponsibility causing serious consequences under Clause 2, Article 285 of the 1999 Penal Code.

For the same crime, the Procuracy asked the court to sentence defendant Nguyen Viet Hung, former deputy director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam, to 3-4 years in prison; Le Dinh Thanh, former Ho Chi Minh City customs officer, 2 – 3 years in prison.

The defendants Pham Hong Chau, former head of the Department of Drug Administration of Vietnam, were recommended 7 to 8 years in prison, and Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, former deputy head of the department, were recommended 4 to 5 years in prison, both for the crime of abusing position. , powers while performing official duties.

As for the group of defendants who were tried for the crime of trading in counterfeit goods being medical drugs under Article 157 of the Penal Code 1999, the Procuracy proposed the court to impose a fine on defendant Nguyen Minh Hung, former Chairman of the Board of Directors cum General Director of Vietnam. Pharma and Vo Manh Cuong, former Director of M&C International Maritime Company, together for 20 years in prison. Combined with the previous sentences, the Procuracy proposed to impose a sentence of 30 years in prison for these two defendants. The remaining 7 defendants were recommended sentences of 8 to 16 years in prison.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Procuratorate also proposed the trial panel to apply additional penalties, ban the defendants in the case from holding certain posts, practicing professions or doing jobs related to the pharmaceutical and medical fields for a period of from 3 – 5 years; Banned defendant Le Dinh Thanh from doing certain jobs related to the customs industry for 3-5 years.

Regarding civil liability, the Procuracy proposed the jury to force the defendants at VN Pharma to jointly compensate more than 31 billion dong for illegal profits. The prosecutor’s office noted that defendant Truong Quoc Cuong voluntarily paid more than 1 billion VND, and Nguyen Minh Hung paid 5 billion VND to secure the execution of the sentence.

With the sentence in the same penalty frame but with many differences, the Procuracy said that defendant Truong Quoc Cuong was “not really sincere” because he only confessed to the responsibility of the head of the Drug Administration. Previously, during the interrogation sessions, defendant Cuong admitted to being responsible, but said that at the time of the violation, it was not reported by his subordinates, so he did not know the situation. On the other hand, this defendant argued that the Chairman of the Board of Review and Grant of Drug Registration Numbers must be the person responsible for the highest and last in the issuance of drug registration numbers.

Special serious

According to the Procuracy, this is a particularly serious and complicated case involving many state agencies, departments and branches from central to local, and many companies. business pharmaceutical products at home and abroad.

The prosecution agency identified that taking advantage of loopholes in the management and business of pharmaceuticals; the irresponsibility or personal motivation of some officials of the Drug Administration of Vietnam in the appraisal, licensing, inspection and control of activities of foreign drug manufacturing companies and import companies. drugs and medicinal ingredients in Vietnam; Due to the lack of responsibility of customs officers when assigned to inspect and control the import and customs clearance, in the years 2008-2010, Nguyen Le Xuan Khanh (a Vietnamese citizen residing in Canada and having a nationality) President of Canada) discussed and agreed with Nguyen Minh Hung and his accomplices to make a dossier of medicines bearing the Health 2000 Canada label of Cudupha Company, Vimedimex Company applied for registration number.

After that, defendant Nguyen Minh Hung colluded with his accomplices to carry out tricks to trade, import and clear a large number of counterfeit drugs of origin and origin into Vietnam.

Specifically, the defendant Nguyen Minh Hung and his accomplices forged contracts and appendices to purchase and sale contracts, inflated drug prices, forged documents to change the origin of drugs, and legitimized payment documents for customs clearance, and imported more than 838,000 boxes of drugs, nearly 26 billion VND. After that, the defendants also forged documents, raising the price of these drugs to a total of 54 billion VND. The company VN Pharma sell to the enterprisehospitals, and pharmacies a total of more than 623,000 boxes, making an illegal profit of 31.5 billion dong.