The former boss of food safety for bribery in the Vietnam Supplement -Scandal arrested

Nguyen Thanh Phong, former director of the Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health in Vietnam, was arrested and persecuted

The Ministry of Public Security confirmed on May 13 that Phong and four other civil servants of the food safety authority were charged for “obtained bribes”. Four of the five were arrested while one was put under house arrest.

The arrests are part of an ongoing examination of large -scale fraud and fake health product distribution under the direction of Nguyen Nang Manh, chairman of Mediusa and director of Megaphaco, and several accomplices. According to investigators, these people have managed a network of nine companies since at least 2016 that produced and distributed fake nutritional supplements across the country.

Officials who are involved in the fraudulent certification process

The examination revealed extensive bribery during the evaluation and approval process of products of food. Nguyen Thanh Phong, who worked from 2015 until his retirement in September 2024 as director of the Food Safety Authority, is accused of facilitating the exhibition of product registration certificates from 207 and four GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) for Mediphar and Mediusa – two factories that are operated by the ManH network.

In order to secure these certifications, Manh and his employee, do manh Hoang, allegedly over 1 billion and (approx. $ 39,300) to civil servants in food safety during the inspections. According to reports, the inspectors reduced the number of records recorded, gave instructions for “correct” violations and allowed the facilities to remain in operation despite the evidence of minimal compliance.

In some cases, such as those in which Phong's subordinate Cao van Trung was involved, the GMP evaluation was based exclusively on photos and written reports that were delivered by the companies without physical review.

Over 2 billion and in bribes to pursue product permits too quickly

In Addition to the GMP Certifications, More Than 2 Billion VND (Roughly $ 78.600 USD) Was Allegedly Paid to Fast-Track the Approval of Over 200 Health Supplement Products Marketed by Companies Under Manh's Control, Including MediPhar, Megalife, Viet Duc, Mega Pharco, Viet Phap, Lien Doanh USA, Pharmacist, and Vita Phar.

These fraudulent permits enabled mass production and the sale of fake health supplements to the public. An earlier investigation into fake milk powder, which is connected to this network, resulted in nine fake products, which caused considerable concerns from consumers and the integrity of health regulations.

Civil servants of law enforcement

The five defendant officials include:

Nguyen Thanh Phong, former director of the Food Safety Authority
Dinh Quang Minh, director of the Center for Food Safety Training and Application
Nguyen Thi Minh Hai, Deputy Director of the Center
Le Thi Hien, a specialist in the center
Cao van Trung, deputy head of the food -drisel -disease monitoring department

While Minh Hai was put under house arrest, the remaining four were taken into custody until further examination.

A broken system that was exploited for profit

According to the Vietnam's Ministry of Health, there were almost 30,000 registered products for the health additives in the country between 2021 and 2024. The food security authority, which was commissioned to evaluate and certify these products, is the goalkeeper to ensure that supplements on the market meet health and security standards.

The investigators have found that the certification process has been impaired on several levels, so that a criminal network can achieve illegal profits by selling non -regulated and fake products. These practices not only deceived consumers, but also issued serious health risks and undermined trust in public health facilities.

The Ministry of Public Security has sworn to expand the investigation, to determine additional violations and to ensure that everyone involved is held accountable.

T. NHON – VO Thu