Vietnam police arrest National Assembly chairman’s assistant

Police in Vietnam have arrested Pham Thai Ha, an assistant of the country’s National Assembly chairman, on an accusation of power abuse, the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday, amid a long-running campaign to stamp out graft.

The arrest of Ha, who is also the deputy chairman of the National Assembly Office, is part of a wider investigation into a bribery case at Thuan An Group, the ministry said in a statement.

The investigators are « focusing its forces on expanding the investigation, and clarifying the alleged violations of the accused and alleged violations at Thuan An Group and other related organisations, » the statement said.

The National Assembly Office didn’t immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

Reuters couldn’t reach the company for comment.

Vietnam’s graft crackdown, dubbed « Blazing Furnace », has seen hundreds of senior state officials and high-profile business executives prosecuted or forced to step down.

Last week, police said they had arrested six people on accusations of violations of bidding laws, including the chairman and the chief executive officer of Thuan An Group.

Thuan An, founded in 2004, specialises in infrastructure construction and real estate trading, according to the government.

By Khanh Vu & Phuong Nguyen – Reuters – April 22, 2024