Vietnam: former deputy labour minister on trial, the right to export workers priced up to 400M dong

The Hanoi People's Court has been trying, since 18 August, former deputy labour minister Nguyen Ba Hoan and 27 co-defendants. Per the charge, from 2021 to May 2025, officials handling overseas-worker licences allegedly delayed files to impose a fixed price per permit — 100 to 400 million dong. Presumed innocent.

The labour ministry is meant to protect workers; here, the charge says, it billed the right to make them work abroad. The Hanoi People's Court has been trying, since 18 August, former deputy labour minister Nguyen Ba Hoan and 27 co-defendants. From 2021 to May 2025, officials handling overseas-worker licences allegedly delayed files to impose a fixed price per permit — 100 to 400 million dong. Among the defendants, the former labour-office head at the embassy in South Korea. Presumed innocent.

The alleged mechanism is organised slowness: deliberately stalling a procedure until the user pays to speed it up. Applied to labour-export licences, a lucrative and sought-after market, it turns a regulatory mission into an administrative racket.

😏 The cynical take
The labour ministry found its added value: billing the right to work. A counter where the only paid overtime was the waiting.

A mass trial, sign of a system

The number of co-defendants — 28 in all — signals a charge aimed at an organised system, not individual lapses. The presence of an official posted abroad (South Korea) suggests ramifications into the diplomatic network overseeing these workers.

Vietnam has run for years an intense anti-corruption campaign, hitting senior officials. This trial fits it: it targets the administrative top of a strategic sector.

An ongoing trial, nothing finally established

Caution: the trial is ongoing; no final judgment is rendered. The reality of the facts, their scale and the responsibilities will be decided by the court. The presumption of innocence applies to the 28 defendants. The elements come from the Vietnamese press, in the conditional.

Key points

The Hanoi court tries ex-deputy minister Nguyen Ba Hoan and 27 co-defendants.
Overseas-worker licences allegedly priced.
Rate of 100 to 400M dong per permit (2021-2025).
Files deliberately slowed to force payment.
Trial ongoing. Presumed innocent.

Magouilles & Compagnie verdict

Magouille or calomnie? A mass trial and a precise charge; no judgment yet. Holding verdict: when the right to work abroad is posted at a set rate, the only truly profitable export was the envelopes.

📚 Sources

Editorial note — This article is written in a satirical tone, but the facts rest on the public sources listed above. An arrest, an indictment, a search, an investigation or a fine does not amount to a final conviction. The presumption of innocence applies to proceedings not finally judged.

❓ FAQ

What exactly is it about?

Officials handling licences that let firms send Vietnamese workers abroad allegedly delayed files to impose a 'price' per permit, 100 to 400 million dong. An administrative right turned into a toll.

Why is this sector sensitive?

Labour export is a major economic activity in Vietnam. Licences condition firms' access to that lucrative market, making them an ideal lever for administrative extortion.

Has anyone been finally convicted?

Unless stated otherwise, no. The article reports public information from the cited sources. Investigations, charges or proceedings do not amount to guilt. The presumption of innocence applies.

Is this real news or a parody?

It is factual satire: the facts are sourced, the tone is satirical. Nothing is invented, but the framing is ironic.