Accordingly, it has been said that Tien’s husband's brother was holding critical positions in VN Pharma and Tien got the commission to allow VN Pharma to tender and supply counterfeit drugs to numerous hospitals in Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC).
It was also rumoured on the Internet that Nguyen Minh Hung, former General Director of VN Pharma and also the defendant in the case, bought Tien a 500-square-metre villa located in Thao Dien urban area, District 2 (HCMC) which was estimated at VND60 billion (roughly US$2.6 million) to grease her palm.
Tien denied all these rumours and confirmed that her family members had nothing to do with such a little-known company. Besides, it was not her that had the right to allow VN Pharma to supply drugs to provincial hospitals. Each province had its own Health Department, which directly examines the quality of the tenders and decides whether they are eligible for supplying drugs. She was extremely ashamed and regretful of the incident.
Also, on the rumour of the “palm-greasing villa”, she declared that it was baseless. The images that are thought to be of the villa and is widely spread on the internet are of the real house that Tien’s family are currently living in. Tien said her family bought this plot of land twenty years ago on Nguyen Van Huong street and had lived in it for more than a decade.
Moreover, the resignation rumour of the Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was also corrected. Tien believed that this kind of rumour had been started in other countries to shatter Vietnamese unity and damage her reputation. She demanded that all the rumour starters should be found out and face disciplinary actions.
The Minister of Health also affirmed that the Ministry was waiting for the verdict of the jury on the concerned officials to decide the suitable disciplinary measures. Also, after the names of the corrupt doctors who got the commission to allow fake drugs into hospitals are revealed, the Ministry will adopt corrective actions on them and will not cover any organisations or individuals.
Fake drug ring leaders sentenced to 12 years in jail for smuggling and forgery
