The Hanoi People’s Court on July 31 handed down sentences to 14 defendants involved in the case at MediPhar Pharmaceutical JSC and its related entities and organizations.
The court sentenced Nguyen Nang Manh ( Former chairman of the board of MediUSA Pharmaceutical JSC) to 16 years and 6 months in prison. He was convicted on three counts: manufacturing and trading counterfeit food, food products, and food additives; serious accounting violations causing severe consequences; and bribery.
Do Manh Hoang (Director of MediPhar Pharmaceutical JSC) and Khuc Minh Vu (Director of Viet Duc company) received prison terms of 13 years and 12 years, respectively. Both were found guilty of manufacturing and trading counterfeit food, food products, and food additives, as well as serious accounting violations.
The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from a 15-month suspended sentence to 7 years in prison, corresponding to their specific criminal acts.
Under the prosecution's indictment, the defendants' criminal activities negatively impacted the integrity of state agencies, persisted over a long period, and spanned the entire country. The case also involved the deliberate disclosure of official secrets by certain police officers.
The defendants' actions were assessed as "extremely serious." The group generated massive revenue exceeding VND539 billion ($20.6 million) from the production of counterfeit dietary supplements intended for various age groups. These activities posed significant health risks to the public, caused widespread indignation, and eroded social trust.
Nguyen Nang Manh was identified as the mastermind who orchestrated and directed the entire operation, thus receiving the harshest penalty. The trial revealed that Manh—serving in various leadership capacities at MediPhar, MediUSA, MegaPhaco, and Hung Phuong—organized the production and sale of counterfeit supplements by ordering staff to reduce or substitute ingredients and concentrations compared to their officially declared specifications.
The defendants failed to follow proper production processes and quality control testing for 88 different supplement products. With total revenue surpassing VND539 billion, the group was found to have pocketed illegal profits of more than VND264 billion (over $10 million).
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