Former Politburo Member Among Top Vietnam Officials Disciplined in Corruption Scandal

The Central Inspection Committee, Vietnam's top internal disciplinary body, recommended on May 8 that former Politburo member and Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Le Thanh Hai be disciplined for serious wrongdoings, particularly real estate and financial violations.

The announcement came after a two-day meeting during which the committee reviewed past misconduct.

The committee determined that the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, under Mr. Hai’s watch, violated democratic centralism and displayed lax leadership, creating an environment where serious violations of regulations and laws could occur.

These violations included mismanagement of land, finances, assets, investments, planning, and construction projects. The committee emphasized the considerable consequences of these actions, including substantial losses of state funds and damage to the city government's reputation.

Wide-ranging complicity

The Central Inspection Committee also held the City Party Committee's Standing Committee for the 2010-2015 term responsible. Along with Mr. Hai, several other key figures are implicated, including former deputy secretaries  of the City Party Committee and People's Committee chairmen Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong. The Party Committees of various city departments from 2010-2020 were also found to be at fault.

Disciplinary actions

The committee called for disciplinary warnings against the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for the 2011-2016 and 2016-2021 terms, along with several departmental Party Committees.

Nguyen Toan Thang, a City Party Committee member and former Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, was recommended for a reprimand.

Beyond these warnings and reprimands, the committee is urging further action. It has requested that competent authorities consider disciplinary measures against the City Party Committee Standing Committee for 2010-2015 and specifically against Le Thanh Hai, Le Hoang Quan, and Nguyen Thanh Phong.

A history of violations

This is not the first time Mr. Hai has faced scrutiny. In March 2020, the Politburo dismissed him from his position as Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary (2010-2015 term) due to violations connected with the controversial Thu Thiem urban project.

He was found to have bypassed proper procedures and overstepped his authority on several issues relating to the project's investment.

Mr. Le Thanh Hai, now 74, enjoyed a long political career. He served as Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee (2001-2006) before becoming a member of the Politburo, the Communist Party's top decision-making body, in April 2006.

Two months later, he became Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (2005-2010 term) and retained both this position and his Politburo seat during the subsequent 2010-2015 term.