The Government Inspectorate of Vietnam has reported that eight out of ten contractors in the Vietur consortium misappropriated 936 billion VND (approximately 40 million USD) in advance payments intended for the Long Thanh Airport project. Instead of utilizing these funds for their designated purpose, the contractors placed them in term deposits to earn interest, which is deemed a violation of contract agreements and legal regulations.

On July 28, the Inspectorate released a conclusion regarding compliance with policies and laws in the investment project for the construction of Long Thanh International Airport, phase one. The audit identified numerous shortcomings and violations within several contract packages, particularly packages XD01 and XD02 of component two, as well as packages 5.6 and 5.10 of component three.

For package 5.10, which involves the construction and installation of passenger terminal equipment, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the project's investor, awarded the contract to the Vietur consortium at a price exceeding 27.8 trillion VND and nearly 339 million USD. The Vietur consortium, led by IC Istas from Turkey, includes ten companies such as Ricons, Newtecons, and Vinaconex.

The audit revealed that the bidding documents for package 5.10 contained multiple errors, necessitating several amendments. For instance, technical specifications for escalators and elevators were based on outdated standards. Additionally, the requirement for experience in similar construction contracts was deemed inappropriate.

Despite the identified violations, the bidding evaluation team failed to request clarifications from the Vietur consortium regarding their qualifications and experience. Furthermore, the consortium's use of foreign currency in their bid, valued at 235.7 million USD, contravened regulations, yet the contracting authority overlooked this and proceeded to sign the contract.

The Inspectorate expressed concerns that these mistakes could lead to significant financial losses for ACV, especially as payments were made in USD at fluctuating exchange rates. The report highlighted that the contractors' actions of placing the advance funds in savings accounts to earn interest, totaling 10.6 billion VND, were not in line with the intended use of these funds as per the contract.

Additionally, the contract stipulated that the maximum subcontracting value should not exceed 80% of the contract price, a condition that was reportedly violated. The audit also noted improper changes in the production locations and specifications of materials and equipment compared to the original bid documents.

In light of these findings, the Government Inspectorate has referred the case to the Ministry of Public Security for further investigation into potential legal violations by the contractors and the ACV regarding bidding regulations and the handling of advance payments.

The Long Thanh Airport project, a key national infrastructure initiative, has a total investment of over 100 trillion VND and is expected to be completed by 2025. It includes two runways and a passenger terminal designed to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo annually.

In a related investigation, the Ministry of Public Security has already indicted 31 individuals for serious violations related to bidding, bribery, and embezzlement, including the Chairman of ACV, Vu The Phiet, and the former Chairman of Vinaconex, Nguyen Huu Toi.