Police in Bac Ninh have charged 10 suspects over the alteration of environmental monitoring results, allegedly changing readings above regulatory limits to compliant figures to conceal violations.
On October 15, Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security said the Bac Ninh City Investigation Police Agency had opened five criminal cases and charged 10 suspects with falsification in the performance of official duties. The cases involve environmental monitoring and analysis in the area.
Eight suspects were detained pending trial, while two others were barred from leaving their places of residence.
Earlier, the Bac Ninh provincial economic police, working with police units responsible for drug-related and environmental crimes, conducted urgent searches of five companies suspected of legal violations.
The companies were ETECH Environmental Technology Consulting Services Co., Ltd. in Kinh Bac Ward; FEC Group JSC, Jenco Services and Technology JSC, and Dat Viet Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. in Bac Giang Ward; and VEC Vietnam Environment Co., Ltd. in Kinh Bac Ward.
During the searches, authorities seized computers, analytical equipment, records and documents directly related to environmental monitoring and sample analysis.
Investigators initially determined that the suspects had used their official positions to interfere with environmental readings and deliberately change values above technical limits to compliant levels or lower them below the actual results.
The changes were made directly on sample analysis result forms or through Xalab, software used to manage and operate environmental monitoring systems.
Investigators said the suspects had a clear division of duties, with instructions running from the top down.
After learning that police were investigating, the suspects quickly destroyed or altered electronic evidence and related documents to conceal the alleged crimes.
The Bac Ninh City Investigation Police Agency is continuing the investigation and working to clarify the responsibility of the organizations and individuals involved for further legal action.
Sources: Dân Trí
