"Let's Keep This a Secret Until We Die": Official Demands More Money After Awarding Vietnam Aid Project

An executive at a public institution has been caught by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) for taking tens of millions of won in bribes after handing over contracts for official development assistance (ODA) projects in Vietnam to private companies.

According to the audit report on public official discipline released by the BAI, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), identified as A, demanded 30 million won from a corporate executive, B, whom A met while working in Vietnam. A was in charge of the project to build a smart city construction technology cooperation center in Vietnam in 2022 and offered the contract in exchange for the money.

A subsequently leaked 19 pieces of classified internal information, including design specifications, even before the bid for the 1.94 billion won project was officially announced, and B's company eventually won the contract.

After B's company succeeded in winning the bid, A raised the requested amount to 50 million won, claiming to have significant loan debts.

According to messenger conversations secured by the BAI, A told B, "It is cautious to say this, but I am very grateful that you are offering 30 million, but would 50 million be okay?" and added, "Let's keep this a secret until we die."

B accepted the demand, stating, "I could not have won the contract without you."

The money was delivered to A through a sophisticated money laundering process involving the accounts of local businesspeople in Vietnam.

It was also discovered that A explicitly demanded and received 3.5 million won in travel and vacation expenses, including round-trip airfare and hotel accommodation costs, from representatives and executives of other companies that had won contracts from the institution via KakaoTalk.

The BAI has filed a criminal complaint against A with the prosecution on charges of bribery and violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and has requested that the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology impose the highest level of disciplinary action, which is dismissal.

In the same audit, it was also revealed that a Grade 5 civil servant at the National Data Agency had funneled contracts worth 900 million won to a private company and received 5 million won in return, leading to a request for disciplinary action of demotion.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Choi Gang-san | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.