The former director of Vietnam’s Food Administration has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Nguyen Thanh Phong was convicted of accepting bribes at a court hearing in Hanoi. Another ex-director, Tran Viet Nga, received a 15-year sentence.
In total, 55 people were sentenced, including 34 officials from the food agency for receiving bribes and 21 defendants for offering bribes.
According to media reports, Nguyen Thanh Phong collected almost 95 billion Vietnamese Dong ($3.6 million) and Tran Viet Nga got more than 12.7 billion VND ($483,000). The defendants also benefited personally, with Phong accepting an estimated 43.9 billion VND ($1.7 million) and Nga more than 8 billion VND ($304,000).
Multi-year scheme
The case involved the food safety department at the Ministry of Health and businesses in provinces and cities nationwide. Local media reported that between 2018 and 2025, money was offered to agency officials in return for quicker action and the issuing of key permits, including product registration certificates, post-production evaluations, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates.
Court judges said the defendants’ actions infringed upon the proper functioning and reputation of organizations and undermined public trust in state agencies. This potentially contributed to the circulation of substandard food on the market, directly threatening the health of consumers.
Nguyen Hung Long, the former deputy director of the food safety department, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Do Huu Tuan received seven years, and Le Hoang, deputy director in the Disease Prevention Department, got five years.
Dinh Quang Minh was jailed for nine years, Pham Van Hinh for seven, and Cao Van Trung for four.
Other defendants including Tran Thi Quynh Trang, Lai Thi Thu Anh, Nguyen Thi Vinh, and Le Thi Thu Ha received prison time ranging from months to a few years.
Tran Thi Hong Nhung, Tran Thi Tuyet, and Nguyen Nam Tien had their sentences of 30 months in prison suspended.
