Vietnamese police on April 22 arrested seven people, including three officials from the Hanoi Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for wrongdoing linked to the procurement of Covid-19 testing equipment, the Ministry of Public Security said.

They were arrested on charges of overstating the cost of a COVID-19 testing system during a transaction, an act which had "caused serious damage", the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

Seven suspects were arrested on charges of overstating the cost of a COVID-19 testing system

The suspects include Nguyen Nhat Cam, director of the Hanoi CDC under the Hanoi Department of Health; Nguyen Vu Ha Thanh, head of the Hanoi CDC’s Finance and Accounting Division; Le Xuan Tuan, an employee the Hanoi CDC’s Finance and Accounting Division.

The four others are Dao The Vinh, director of Vietnam Materials Science and Trading Limited Company (MST); Nguyen Tran Duy, general director of Nhan Thanh Property Auction and Auctioning JSC; Nguyen Ngoc Nhat, an employee of Vitech Scientific Development Co., Ltd; and Tuyen Thanh Thanh, an employee of Oriental Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

Police investigations reveal some officials of the Hanoi CDC have allegedly committed fraud linked to the purchase of medical equipment for Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control in the city.

Police's evidence proves wrongdoings of some Hanoi CDC and competent agencies officials relating to the procurement of Covid-19 testing equipment, VnExpress quoted Major General To An Xo, chief of the Ministry of Public Security Office, as saying.

"The are irregularities concerning the procurement of medical equipment and supplies for Covid-19 epidemic testing and prevention," said To An Xo, adding that investigation at the Hanoi CDC has been launched for more than a week now based on people’s denouncement.

At a meeting on April 17, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that the municipal Department of Health was in charge of procuring medical equipment for the epidemic prevention and control.

The Hanoi CDC is responsible for preventive medicine in the city with a view to reducing the incidence and death caused by epidemics, contagious and non-communicable diseases to people.

The Hanoi CDC is a frontline unit in Covid-19 prevention by screening, controlling, testing, issuing warnings and announcing people infected with the novel coronavirus.