Reporter faces wrath of health ministry over corruption allegation
In January, a reporter from the mass daily newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) was placed under house arrest by Hanoi police. Reporter Thi Lan Anh was accused of stealing ?state top secrets? of the Ministry of Health and is now facing prosecution. The upcoming at court trial is drawing a lot of concern of not only journalists but also civil libertarians who say there is nor reason for a trial. In 2004, the government issued a resolution calling on the press to expose corruption by officials, but perhaps this is not what was intended.
The story revolves around a foreign wholesaler of imported medicines which the health ministry accused of controlling almost the entire market and ramping up prices. A lot of attention was made in the press over many weeks about this company, Zuellig Pharma, and allegations of rampant corruption by health ministry officials in drug import licensing.
At a press conference in May last year, the health ministry announced it was going to probe the company through investigations of its head office in HCM City. Many health-column journalists attended the conference and wrote reports accordingly about the ministry?s intent to check on Zuellig Pharma.
The Ministry of Police say they requested the People?s Supreme Procuracy to prosecute Lan Anh and Nguyen Manh Cuong, an office staff of the Ministry of Health who is also facing prosecution for ?appropriating the state secrets?. Police say that Lan Anh had phoned Cuong to ask about information related to the medicine price issue and Zuellig Pharma. Then, Cuong allegedly made a copy of Official Letter 3497/YT-QLD, which is the supposed state secret in question, and sent it to Lan Anh.
Two other reporters Do Trung Hieu from the Nhan Dan (People?s) newspaper and Dang Thi Thanh Tam from the Lao Dong (Worker) newspaper reportedly told police they were given a photocopy of the ministry document. Lan Anh denies this.
What is not answered is made the accusation against Lan Anh and the police investigating body have failed to clarify the motivation of their investigation. Generally it is understood that the health ministry was under extreme criticism for medicine prices that had sky rocketed in the last two years and accusations of hidden relationships between health officials and drug companies concerning the licensing of drugs for importation and sale.