Vietnam deputy health minister arrested on bribery charge

Vietnamese police arrested Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan on Wednesday on allegations that he accepted bribes involving a large sum of money, the public security ministry said.

The ministry did not specify the amount. It said Thuan's arrest was part of an investigation into alleged smuggling and accounting violations causing serious consequences at Viet My Medical Investment Joint Stock Company.

Thuan, 56, was appointed deputy health minister in 2020 and chairman of the National Medical Council in 2024. He is a leading oncologist in Vietnam.

State media said police have also arrested two executives and an accountant at Viet My Medical Investment. The company was allegedly set up to trade, resell and inflate the prices of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals before importing them from Singapore and Hong Kong into Vietnam, state media said.

Police also accuse company leaders of trying to illegally import medical equipment.

Vietnam has pursued a high-profile anti-corruption campaign in recent years that has involved dozens of business leaders and senior government figures. In May, former health minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was imprisoned for six years over mismanagement of hospital projects, state media said.