Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy trial

Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh La Thang at the first-instance trial in Hanoi on March 8. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Court of Hanoi on March 8 opened a first-instance trial of the case of violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences at the Phu Tho ethanol plant in the northern province of the same name. There are 12 defendants in the case, including former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh La Thang; former Chairman of the Board of Directors and former General Director of the PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC) Trinh Xuan Thanh; and several former executives of PetroVietnam, PVC and the PetroVietnam PetroChemicals and Biofuel JSC (PVB). Trinh Xuan Thanh has been charged with “violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences” under Article 224, Clause 3 of the Penal Code 2015, and “abusing position and power while performing duties” under Article 356, Clause 3. Thang, meanwhile, has been accused of “violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences.” A total of 31 lawyers will represent the defendants during the 10-day trial. According to the indictment, Thang signed a resolution to approve the investment in the Phu Tho ethanol project in October 2007. With Thanh’s support, PVC/Alfa Laval/Delta-T joint contractors, who had no previous experience in carrying out ethanol projects, were assigned to be in charge of the project. As a result, the project was continuously behind schedule and stopped in March 2013 with no construction items done. Wrongdoings of the defendants were said to cause a loss of more than 543 billion VND (23.49 million USD)./. VNA …

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Vietnam begins COVID-19 vaccination on March 8 Vietnam launches its COVID-19 inoculation drive on March 8 morning, administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to medical workers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and northern Hai Duong province – the country’s biggest pandemic hotspot at present. The vaccination is conducted at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and two medical centres in Hai Duong. As many as 100 staff members of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases are expected to receive the shots in the morning of March 8. The hospital is allocated 450 doses among the first batch of 117,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine the country has received. In Hai Duong, 50 medical workers at Hai Duong city’s medical centre, and 30 others at Kim Thanh district’s medical centre will be the first in the province to be injected. The Ministry of Health has allocated the vaccine to 13 localities, along with the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and 21 hospitals during the first phase. Among the localities, all having reported COVID-19 cases since the latest wave of outbreaks since January 27, the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is given 8,000 doses, Hai Duong CDC 32,000, and HCM City CDC 8,000. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security each receive 30,000 doses. At a meeting on March 6, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stressed the need to ensure equality in vaccine access as suggested by the WHO, UNICEF and COVAC. The localities excluded in the first phase should continue to prepare for the inoculation, with training programmes, he said, adding that they would receive the vaccine after the next shipment arrives in Vietnam in March. The ministry will roll out the vaccination in all COVID-19 treatment hospitals, prioritising those involved in frontline work, and those who participate in the pandemic combat in the community like …

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Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh granted Madame Nga a certificate for her valuable contributions to the ASEAN business community BRG Group, under the apt leadership of chairwoman Nguyen Thi Nga, has gone out of its way to share the burdens of the communities in Vietnam and incite businesses across the ASEAN to greater action for the common good. Last year’s difficulties forced a halt to most large-scale community events. But going against the grain, the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) were still organised to honour the bloc’s best performers, continuing an annual tradition going back to 2007. Nga, an organiser of ABA 2020, shared that the year was a hard one for both ASEAN and Vietnamese businesses but it was also a year for kind-hearted actions and activities that need to be recognised and honoured. “That is the reason why we could not allow the ceremony to be cancelled – to highlight businesses which have not only been working to maintain development but also to make significant contributions to the prevention of the pandemic,” she said. “The prime minister expressed his full support for us to organise the annual event. His belief was great motivation for us to go ahead with this prestigious and meaningful ceremony for the business community during the hard time of the pandemic,” Nga shared with VIR. As a result, 58 corporations from across ASEAN were honoured in 10 categories at ABA 2020 last November in Hanoi, sharing the stories of each entrepreneur and business to inspire the public and the entrepreneurial community to greater action. “In 2020, many ASEAN businesses and entrepreneurs have been on the frontlines of COVID-19 action. The business community has helped mitigate the damage on the regional economy while ensuring jobs for employees and maintaining business growth,” Nga said. “At the same time, they have contributed great and valuable resources to epidemic prevention and control in their respective countries. This dedication deserves to …

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