Court sentencing videos

HANOI -- A court in Vietnam on Thursday sentenced a former deputy health minister to four years in prison for his involvement in a trading ring for fake medicines. Truong Quoc Cuong, 59, who had been a deputy health minister since 2016, was accused late last year of helping local firms to import more than VND148 billion ($6.4 million) worth of fake medicines to sell domestically, according to a Ministry of Public Security statement. Vietnam authorities have stepped up an anti-graft drive with a recent series of arrests targeting prominent business people, market regulators and health officials. Dozens of senior health officials have been accused of wrongdoing in medical procurement, including claims they overstated the cost of coronavirus test kits. The Communist Party of Vietnam has also proposed disciplining the Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long for his "involvement in wrongdoing". It was unclear if Cuong pleaded guilty. He was convicted of demonstrating a "lack of … [Read more...] about Vietnam court jails ex-health official amid anti-graft drive

Shedko Dmitrii at the trial in Binh Thuan province. (Photo: VNA) Binh Thuan (VNA) - The People's Court of Binh Thuan province on May 23 handed a seven-month prison sentence to a Russian man for illegal possession of narcotics. According to the verdict, 34-year-old Shedko Dmitrii arrived in Vietnam in November 2019 and rented an apartment in Ham Tien ward in Phan Thiet city. In August 2020, he suffered a broken hand during a fight, and after the injury healed, he claimed he was still in pain and decided to use cannabis as a painkiller . In August 2021, he bought seeds to plant in his own home as he said he didn't have money to purchase the product. However, the excuse was deemed unacceptable, as before growing the cannabis, Dmitrii spent a significant sum of money on lights, humidifiers , dryers, electronic scales, and microscales for his growing system. On December 24, 2021, Phan Thiet city's criminal police said they caught Dmitrii in illegal possession of a … [Read more...] about Russian man jailed for seven months for cannabis possession

An overview of the meeting (Photo: VNA) Havana (VNA) – A delegation of Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court led by Deputy Chief Justice Nguyen Van Du paid an official visit to Cuba from May 18-21 to promote cooperation between the two court sectors and attend the 10th International Meeting on Justice and Law. At a working session with the Chief Justice of Supreme People's Court of Cuba, Rubén Remigio Ferro, the Vietnamese deputy chief justice informed the host on the main reforms in the Vietnamese court system in the recent past, including enhancing the publicity of sentences, improving judicial service quality for the public and modernising material conditions. He stressed that in its judicial reform strategy, the Vietnamese State aims to enhance the capacity of judges, build electronic courts and intensify international experience exchange. The Cuban chief justice also shared the orientation for the modernisation of the Cuba n court system, and noted the similar points … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Cuba promote cooperation in justice

Cuong was sentenced by the Hanoi’s People Court after being charged with "negligence that results in serious consequences". He is also forbidden from holding positions in the field of medicine for three years after finishing his sentence. Nguyen Minh Hung, former chairman of the management board of pharmaceutical firm Vietnam Pharma JSC, received 18 years in jail for "manufacturing and trading of counterfeit medicines for treatment or prevention of diseases". Hung had been sentenced to 17 years under the same charge at another trial over the case in 2019. His cumulative years to spend in prison will be 30 years, the maximum number of jail time for combined timed sentences in accordance with Vietnamese law. 12 others convicts related to the cases were also sentenced to between 2-20 years in jail. The sentences were the latest development in a counterfeit drug case involving Vietnam Pharma and the fake drug branded Health 2000 Canada. Cuong stands accused of violations that allowed … [Read more...] about Former deputy health minister jailed in fake cancer drug scandal

The defendants at the court. VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — Former Deputy Health Minister Trương Quốc Cường has been sentenced to four years in prison in the first-instance trial of the case relating to the trading of counterfeit medicine labelled 'Health 2000 Canada'. The verdict cited the official's lack of responsibility causing serious consequences; and abuse of positions and power while on duty, which took place in HCM City, some other localities, and at the Health Ministry’s Drug Administration (DAV). The Hà Nội People’s Court imposed the sentence on Cường on May 19. Two other defendants, Nguyễn Việt Hùng, former deputy director of the DAV; and Lê Đình Thanh, a former official of Hồ Chí Minh City Customs Department - were sentenced to three years and two years, respectively, on the same charge. Two former officials of the DAV – Phạm Hồng Châu and Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy – were handed four years for abusing positions and power while on duty. Nine other defendants were given … [Read more...] about Former Deputy Health Minister gets four years in prison in fake medicine case

Former Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong at court (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Former Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong was given four years in jail in the first-instance trial of the case relating to the trading of counterfeit medicine labelled as Health 2000 Canada; lack of responsibilities causing serious consequences; and abuse of positions and power while on duty, which took place in HCM City, some other localities and at the Health Ministry’s Drug Administration (DAV). The Hanoi People’s Court imposed the sentence on Cuong on May 19 for the lack of responsibilities causing serious consequences. Two other defendants, Nguyen Viet Hung, former deputy director of the DAV; and Le Dinh Thanh, a former official of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department - were sentenced to three years and two years respectively, on the same charge as Cuong. Two former officials of the DAV – Pham Hong Chau and Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy – got four years for abusing positions and … [Read more...] about Former Deputy Health Minister gets four years in jail in fake medicine case