Today marks the announcement of the appeal verdict for former Health Minister Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến, who has been embroiled in a corruption case linked to two hospital projects. After compensating nearly 110 billion VND, the prosecution has proposed a reduction of her sentence from the original six years to between 18 and 24 months.

The appeal hearing, which has lasted nearly two weeks, will conclude in the afternoon at the Supreme People's Court in Hanoi. Tiến, who has been undergoing treatment in Ho Chi Minh City, requested to be absent from the proceedings. Another defendant, Nguyễn Doãn Tú, a former deputy director of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction, also sought to be absent due to health issues.

In May, Tiến was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay 108 billion VND in damages. Prior to the appeal hearing on September 25, she fully compensated the amount. During the appeal process, additional payments totaling nearly 2 billion VND were made by the defendants, including 1.1 billion VND from Tiến and her family to support their colleagues in addressing the case's consequences.

The prosecution highlighted Tiến's significant responsibilities as the head of the Ministry of Health, overseeing various sectors including financial planning, infrastructure development, and medical equipment. Her involvement in the Bạch Mai Hospital and Việt Đức Hospital projects was scrutinized, with accusations of mismanagement leading to delays and financial losses exceeding 800 billion VND.

Despite not directly causing the financial damage, the court found that Tiến's approvals enabled her subordinates to proceed with actions that resulted in the infractions. It was revealed that she received a total of 7.5 billion VND from subordinates, who did not disclose the money's origin. Following her six-year sentence, Tiến appealed, seeking a review of mitigating circumstances for a reduced sentence and a reconsideration of her civil liability regarding the compensation.