Vietnam strictly handles violations if officials taking US company’s bribes detected
(VOVworld) - Vietnamese relevant agencies will conduct a thorough investigation and strictly deal with the case related to US firm’s bribery of Vietnam government officials.
The statement was confirmed by Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Pham Thu Hang at a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday: “Immediately after receiving information about the US$2.2 million bribery for Vietnam government officials by US Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc, Vietnamese functional agencies have urgently verified the incident and will strictly handle violations if discovered. The Minister of Health sent a letter to the US Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam on Thursday asking the US side to work together with Vietnam on inquiring into the incident. With the function and role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will cooperate with Vietnamese and US relevant agencies when we are requested and in areas we take charge.”
Regarding information that a Chinese Taiwan delegation visiting an illegal construction site on Ba Binh island of Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago on November 5, Hang once again confirmed Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. She said all activities in the area without Vietnam’s permission are invalid and Vietnam resolutely objects them.
She said Vietnamese agencies are cooperating with Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands to prepare to return the bodies of 3 Vietnamese victims who died in the Malaysian airline crash in July. The bodies are expected to come home on November 13.