Former Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong and his accomplices were taken to court

Along with Mr. Cuong, 13 other related defendants were also brought to trial for the crimes of “lack of responsibility causing serious consequences”; “Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties”; “The sale of counterfeit goods is a cure-all”.

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As noted by VietNamNet from 6:30 a.m., the defendants were led to the court. Around 7:20 a.m., former Deputy Minister Truong Quoc Cuong was also led to the court.

Among the defendants who attended the same court with Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong in this case, notably: Nguyen Viet Hung (former deputy director of the Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health), Le Dinh Thanh (former officer of the Customs Department) Ho Chi Minh City), Pham Hong Chau (former Head of Drug Registration Department, Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health), Nguyen Minh Hung (former Chairman of the Board of Directors, cum General Director of VN Pharma Company)…

The People’s Court of Hanoi has convened 6 organizations and individuals with related interests and obligations, including representatives of the following agencies: the Ministry of Health, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (the Ministry of Health), the General Department of Customs, Ho Chi Minh City Customs, VN Pharma Company, H&C International Maritime Trading Co., Ltd.

According to the indictment, in 2008-2010, Nguyen Le Xuan Khang (a Vietnamese citizen of Canada) discussed with Nguyen Minh Hung about making a dossier of medicines bearing the Health 2000 Canada label to Vietnam to apply for a registration number.

This number of drugs was determined by the legal authorities to be fake, but some officials of the Drug Administration of Vietnam were “irresponsible or with personal motives” so they violated their official duties during the appraisal and approval process. As a result, there are 7 drugs labeled Health 2000 Canada that have been assigned registration numbers.

After that, the group of defendants Hung, Cuong and their employees traded, imported and cleared a large number of them into Vietnam. Price is inflated; contracts and appendices to purchase and sale contracts, documents are forged.

According to the indictment, there were more than 800,000 boxes of medicine, with a total value of more than 1.2 million USD, which were imported, equivalent to 26 billion VND, which were raised to more than 2.5 million USD, equivalent to 54 billion VND. More than 600,000 boxes of counterfeit drugs were sold to businesses and hospitals, helping the defendants earn more than 31 billion VND.

The indictment determined that Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong, when committing the crime, was the Director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam, improperly and inadequately performed his assigned responsibilities; Lack of supervision resulted in 6 out of 7 fake Health 2000 medicines worth more than 148 billion VND being imported and consumed.

Mr. Cuong was repeatedly warned by the Ministry of Health and the police force about counterfeit drugs but “ignored”, continuing to allow the product to be circulated and used.

On December 10, 2021, Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong was prosecuted and detained.

Nhi Tien