Life sentences upheld for three high-ranking officials in “repatriation flight” bribery case

A group of defendants charged with “giving bribes”, including executives of many businesses, also had their prison terms reduced. The court explained that their violations were partly caused by harassment by officials in State agencies or flaws in State mechanisms. Notably, Hoàng Văn Hưng, former head of the investigation division of the Investment Security Department at the Ministry of Public Security, also had his sentence reduced from life imprisonment to 20 years in prison. According to the first-instance verdict, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government ordered organising repatriation flights for overseas Vietnamese. After the case was brought to light, there were signs of collusion with one another to conceal their violations.