Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Public Security’s InvestigationPolice Department on Economic, Corruption-related Crimes andSmuggling retrieved nearly 27 trillion VND (1.16 billion USD) from corruptionand economic violations in 2018.
The figure represents nearly 50 percent of the total estimated damage caused bythe violations and an 18 percentage point increase from the funds recovered in2017, the department revealed at a meeting held recently to review its 2018performance and prepare for 2019.
Of the figure, nearly 2.9 trillion VND was recovered from corruption cases.
Minister of Public Security To Lam spokehighly of the efforts of the department’s staff, saying they recorded progressin discovering economic and corruption crimes and in retrieving assets fromthese cases.
However, he said shortcomings remained and the department should review themand use their findings to improve the fight against corruption and smuggling.
He instructed the economic police to familiarise themselves with Party andState guidelines on combating corruption and economic crimes and to improveconsultancy work for the ministry, the Party and the State.
The year of 2019 is set to be a key period inthe fight against these crimes, as Vietnam has integrated deeper into theglobal economy. Lam said the department must have an active, long-term visionfor combating economic, corruption and smuggling crimes.
The department should focus on measures to speed up the investigation of keyeconomic and corruption cases and the recovery of assets, he said.
It was also necessary to closely follow the socio-economic developments of theGovernment in 2019 and beyond to prevent and punish crimes, therebycontributing to fulfilling the Government’s targets and combating corruptionand wastefulness, he said.-VNS/VNA