On the afternoon of October 29, the People's Court of Bac Ninh province continued to question 11/13 defendants present in the case of violations related to bidding for equipment at 6 hospitals in Bac Ninh.
Former Secretary of Bac Ninh Province Nguyen Nhan Chien admitted to receiving bribes of 4 billion VND and gifts of 14 billion VND from AIC. Later, the investigation agency analyzed that he realized and returned the entire 14 billion VND.
Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien stated very "naively" that when the prosecution agency analyzed this amount of money related to the projects, he "realized it was bribery money".
The Provincial Party Secretary received up to 14 billion VND from the enterprise, signed many times to help the enterprise win the bid but still did not realize that it was bribery. Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien himself admitted that he made mistakes in implementing the procurement project at 6 hospitals and was "very remorseful and regretful".
It turns out, according to the innocence of the former Secretary of Bac Ninh, the act of accepting a bribe or not accepting a bribe depends on the perception of the recipient. If one does not think that one is accepting a bribe, one is not violating the law.
From Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien as a precedent, any official who receives money and is not discovered will keep it as personal property. If it is discovered, they will return it, thinking that it is a gift so it is not a violation of the law.
A leader, head of a locality, with such legal thinking, can do anything for the people?
Another argument of Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien: "The defendant never agreed or asked the business to give him money."
Oh, why does Mr. Chien need to negotiate and ask the business to give him money? He nodded to let the business win the bid and receive the money, that is an "agreement". For leaders, the only way to show their innocence is not to accept bribes. Once they have accepted the money, any explanation is not convincing.
Regarding Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien's justification, we can refer to the case of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Danh - former Director of the Center for Disease Control of Binh Duong province, although he did wrong, he did it out of his heart and virtue and repeatedly refused to accept money from Viet A. That is why the Trial Council exempted Mr. Nguyen Thanh Danh from criminal liability. The Inspection Committee of Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee decided that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Danh's disciplinary action would be changed from expulsion from the Party to reprimand.
Officials who work impartially and are not involved in money or material things, even if they do wrong, will be considered for exemption from punishment or disciplinary action. As for receiving money, up to 14 billion VND from the enterprise, and naively saying that they do not think it is bribery, is too unreasonable.
