The latest decision by the Investigative Security Agency—Ministry of Public Security, announced on September 4, 2026, regarding the issuance of a Supplementary Investigation Conclusion recommending the indictment in absentia of Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh, a native of Ha Tinh and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cong Minh Greenery Co., Ltd., has taken political observers by surprise.
This is because the “Cong Minh Greenery Company Major Case” occurred more than two years ago (April 2024), and the suspect was indicted and a warrant for his arrest was issued nearly a year and a half ago.
The Ministry of Public Security’s decision to finalize the Supplementary Investigation Conclusion at this time and hold a public press conference went “far beyond” the scope of a typical economic criminal proceeding.
With a scope involving more than 600 bid packages nationwide, a total contract value exceeding 3,500 tỷ đồng, and initial losses of nearly 100 tỷ đồng to the state budget, the Cong Minh Greenery Company case is considered a crucial link in the upper echelons of the political system.
According to police authorities, Công Minh Greenery Company has been accused of colluding with local project owners to rig and set bid prices as early as the project planning stage.
Once the contract price was approved, the company would either be directly awarded the contract or use a series of other legal entities within its network to participate in “bid-rigging” schemes to ensure a 100% chance of winning.
Although suspect Nguyen Cong Minh remains at large and is being actively pursued, the fact that the Investigative Agency is proceeding with an in absentia indictment suggests this is a legal maneuver akin to “a cat playing with a mouse,” rather than an effort to resolve the case definitively.
However, political analysts argue that this is an indirect attack aimed at the protective forces behind the scenes, including Standing Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu—who has long been accused of having close ties to this “hometown” interest group.
According to international political observers, the fact that Tran Cam Tu has been drawn into the maelstrom of the Cong Minh Tree Case holds special significance for the current power dynamics in Vietnam.
Mr. Trần Cẩm Tú, a native of Hà Tĩnh, is considered one of the most prominent leaders from the Nghệ An–Hà Tĩnh region, a key faction within the Communist Party of Vietnam.
The Ministry of Public Security’s escalating legal pressure on the Cong Minh Greenery case is not merely an anti-corruption effort but is aimed at weakening the position and undermining the credibility of the Ha Tinh faction in the face of the growing dominance of the Public Security faction led by Mr. To Lam.
At the same time, the Ministry of Public Security’s decision to reopen the case file on the bid-rigging scandal involving Cong Minh Greenery Company sends a strong warning message to the entire political system and high-ranking officials.
That is, there will be no safe haven left for vested-interest networks seeking to siphon off public funds.
However, the Ministry of Public Security’s continuous digging into and expansion of investigations into cases left over from the time of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has also raised significant questions about its true political motives.
According to well-informed sources, in addition to the goal of fighting corruption, this is also a well-orchestrated “shake the tree to scare the monkeys” tactic aimed at neutralizing potential rivals for power. That rival is Standing Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu.
By accelerating the legal proceedings of the case without the presence of defendant Nguyen Cong Minh, the Ministry of Public Security maintains its legitimacy while retaining the advantage of controlling the pace of the proceedings.
It remains to be seen how Mr. Trần Cẩm Tú and the Hà Tĩnh interest group will react to the Công Minh Greenery Company case, but it is clear that Mr. Tô Lâm is proceeding according to an extremely aggressive script and will not settle for any half-measures./.
Trà My – Thoibao.de
