Five former urban order collaborators accused of taking bribes to ignore sidewalk violations in Ho Chi Minh City

The defendants are Nguyen Thanh Tung, Do Khac Anh Khang, Luong Quoc Huy Hoang, Nguyen Tien Mai, and Nguyen Minh Tuan, who formerly worked for the team in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, now part of Ben Thanh Ward.

According to the indictment, the team was responsible for advising the ward chairman on inspecting and documenting administrative violations, ordering violators to stop their activities, and proposing penalties for violations involving urban order, roads and sidewalks, and environmental sanitation.

On December 15, 2023, the former District 1 police investigation agency received a criminal complaint from a woman identified as B.T.C., who accused Tung of demanding monthly payments to prevent administrative penalties for violations involving roads and sidewalks.

At 8:45 pm that day, police caught Tung receiving VND750,000 (US$29) from B.T.C. on the sidewalk near September 23 Park.

Investigators seized related evidence and took him in for questioning.

As the investigation expanded, authorities received similar complaints from 32 other individuals.

Investigators found that from November 2021 to April 5, 2023, when Nguyen Pham Huy Chuong headed the team and Mai served as deputy head, Mai, Tung and Hoang worked together on the same shifts.

Taking advantage of their assigned duties, Mai, Tung and Hoang agreed that Tung would directly approach businesses and street vendors encroaching on roads and sidewalks to negotiate monthly payments in exchange for the team refraining from inspections and violation reports.

Tung collected the money in cash or by bank transfer before reporting it to the others, who then shared the proceeds for personal spending.

During this period, Tung collected a total of VND159.8 million ($6,100) from businesses and vendors.

From April 5 to December 2023, after Chuong was reassigned, Mai took charge of the team.

Three additional members, Khang, Tuan and Huynh Phat Dung, joined the group.

Investigators said Mai abused his position and assigned duties by directing team members to collect money from businesses and vendors in exchange for overlooking violations.

According to statements given by Tung and Khang to investigators, the money collected during this period was divided equally among six members: Mai, Tung, Hoang, Khang, Tuan and Dung.

Dung did not directly receive his share.

Instead, his portion, along with any money left over after each division, was kept in a fund to cover the group's meals.

The total amount of bribes collected during this period was VND395 million ($15,100).

Dung acknowledged that he occasionally joined the team for meals but said members took turns paying the bills, with no single person responsible for payment.

He also said he had not been told that the meal expenses were covered by a fund sourced from bribe money.

Investigators therefore found insufficient grounds to pursue criminal charges against Dung for taking bribes.

The 33 individuals who had paid money to Tung and Khang were found to have been coerced into making the payments and had voluntarily reported the incidents before they were discovered.

Authorities therefore decided not to pursue action against them.