More than 80 defense lawyers will participate in the first instance trial, along with nearly 60 people with rights and obligations related to the proceedings, the latter summoned by the Council of Judges.

Among the defendants are two former directors of the aforementioned department, Nguyen Thanh Phong and Tran Viet Nga, two deputy directors, Nguyen Hung Long and Do Huu Tuan, and 30 other officials and specialists, all charged with “accepting bribes.”

Meanwhile, another 21 defendants, including representatives of companies and service providers, were charged with “offering bribes.”

According to the indictment, as reported by the VNA news agency, between 2018 and 2025 some leaders and officials of this entity abused legal provisions to facilitate bribery practices.

The irregularities occurred in the process of evaluating and granting certificates of receipt for product declaration registrations, the approval of advertising content, and in the evaluation, inspection, and granting of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certificates, the agency detailed.

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