Hanoi (VNA) – Eleven Vietnameseofficials involved in tax and post-customs clearance inspections at TenmaVietnam have been suspended from work for being implicated in alleged bribery.

TenmaVietnam is a subsidiary of Japan’s plastic product maker Tenma Corporation.

Pham Duc Thuong, former deputy head of the Tax Department of northern Bac Ninh province, is among the officials. He signeda decision dated August 2019 to establish a team to inspect Tenma Vietnam.

Fourother officials are Nguyen Duc Tuan, head of the inspection team; Nguyen Duy Cu, Nguyen Thi Hoai Bien and Pham Thi Thanh Tam, members of the team.

Theyhave been all suspended from work for 15 days starting from May 27, following the order of Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung.

Sixother post-customs clearance officials of Bac Ninh province’s Customs Department were alsosuspended from work for 15 days starting from May 27.

Theyare Tran Thanh To, head of the provincial Customs Department, who signedthe post-customs clearance decision; Duong MinhKhai, head of customs management team; Nguyêen Van Phuc, deputy head of expert division; Vu QuangHa, head of expert team;Nguyen Luu Binh Troong, official of customs sub-department of Tien Son Port; and Nguyen Thi Hao, official of Bac Ninh Province CustomsDepartment’s Office.

Thecase came into the spotlight when Japanese media including Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Kyodo newsagency and Nikkei, reported that TenmaVietnam gave a bribe of 25 million JPY (232,000 USD) toVietnamese customs officials.

Accordingto Asahi Shimbun, the Tokyo-basedTenma Corporation confessed to the Tokyo District Prosecutor.

TenmaCorporation reportedly took the initiative to set up a third-party committee toinvestigate the violation. Bribing foreign governments is a prohibited practicein Japan.

TheVietnamese finance minister requested the Vietnamese general departments oftaxation and customs to report to the Ministry of Finance on recent allegationsin Japanese media about the bribes paid by Tenma Vietnam to avoid payingcorporate and value-added tax.

Atthe same time, he assigned the ministry's inspection agency to immediately setup an inspection team to examine the Tax Department and the Customs Departmentin Bac Ninh province, where Tenma Vietnam is located.

PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered authorised agencies toinspect the case and impose strict penalties on those committing violations inorder to create an equal, transparent business and investment climate./.