Conducting COVID-19 tests using RT-PCR technology (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Sevenofficials from Hanoi’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and relatedcompanies confessed to the police they had jacked up the price of the COVID-19testing machines by a factor of three, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Deputy Minister of PublicSecurity Lt. Gen. Luong Tam Quang said at a government press conference thisweek that the defendants had promised to return the money.
On April 22, the policedetained and launched criminal proceedings against Nguyen Nhat Cam, Director ofthe Hanoi CDC and six others for jacking up prices of Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machines used in testing the newcoronavirus.
“Initial investigation showedthe defendants had colluded with companies to jack up the prices of a COVID-19testing equipment bidding package by three times,” Quang said.
After the case at the Hanoi CDCwas revealed to the public, the police department for corruption, economiccrimes and smuggling discovered abnormal signs in purchasing testing equipmentin some other localities.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucordered the health ministry and local people’s committees to inspect thepurchase of medical equipment and medicine for the pandemic, especially biddingpackages of testing machines, ventilators, chemicals and face masks./.
VNA
