At the seminar on “Solutions to recover corrupt assets in Ho Chi Minh City”, Deputy Director of the Institute of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy, Mr. Ngo Pham Viet, emphasized that: “In the case of corruption crimes that disperse assets without any intention of recovery, the Institute will propose to prosecute for money laundering”.
Mr. Ngo Pham Viet's opinion is receiving much attention and support from the public. Because it shows the determination of the authorities in handling acts of asset dissipation, ensuring there is no "escape route" for corrupt criminals.
Asset disposal is a familiar trick of corrupt criminals. In corruption cases, it is not difficult to see that criminals always try to dispose of assets right from the investigation stage.
This behavior not only makes the process of recovering assets difficult but also reduces the effectiveness of judgments. If the misappropriated assets are not recovered in time, they will lose their trace, causing great losses to the state budget and losing the deterrent effect of the law.
Money laundering is the deliberate act of concealing the illegal origin of assets by transferring them through legal financial channels.
In cases where a corrupt criminal intentionally disposes of assets without any intention of recovering them, prosecuting for money laundering will be a strong measure to eliminate the subject's ability to evade the law.
This is not only a measure to recover corrupt assets, but also a step to prevent the risk of spreading money laundering crimes.
Applying money laundering prosecution to acts of dissipating corrupt assets also has strategic significance in ensuring the protection of state and people's assets.
In this way, criminals will no longer be able to conceal their ill-gotten gains and will be forced to face severe legal action.
In reality, asset recovery in corruption cases is one of the biggest challenges for authorities. The amount of assets that are dispersed and transformed through many complex channels, especially in major corruption cases, makes tracing and recovery difficult.
Therefore, the proposal to prosecute money laundering for acts of dissipating corrupt assets, if applied, will be a step forward in the fight against corruption in Vietnam.
Thoroughly recovering corrupt assets is also a way to prevent waste – a front no less important than fighting corruption.
