HCMC – Ministry of Public Security (MPS) investigators yesterday, January 4, arrested Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, former executive of the Vietnam Education Publishing House, and Nguyen Bach Thuy Linh, director of SNB Holdings Co., Ltd, for their alleged involvement in the Viet A Covid-19 test kit case.

The two women were accused of abusing their powers to intervene and influence a number of ministries and agencies to enable Viet A Technology Corporation to make illicit gains during the Covid-19 test kit production and business, the local media reported. The arrests are the latest move of the MPS investigators in a broader investigation into the Viet A test kit case found at the Viet A corporation and some ministries and agencies. After detecting irregularities linked to Viet A over the past year, the MPS investigators and local police filed charges against over 100 people involved in the case. Among them were three former members of the Party Central Committee, comprising ex-minister of health Nguyen Thanh Long, ex-chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh and ex-secretary of the Hai Duong Province Party Committee Pham Xuan Thang. Prior to the arrests of Thuy and Linh, the investigators in late November last year detained Nguyen Van Trinh, assistant to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, on allegations that he had influenced the Ministry of Health’s decision to issue a registration number for Viet A Technology Corporation’s Covid-19 test kits. In addition, many leaders and employees at local healthcare authorities in more than 20 provinces and cities in the country were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the case.