Hanoi, Jan. 15 -- After 10 days of hearings and deliberations, the Hanoi People's Court on January 14 delivered verdicts against 55 defendants in a bribery case involving the Vietnam Food Safety Authority (FSA) under the Ministry of Health.

Of the total, 34 officials from the VFA were convicted of receiving bribes under Article 354 of the Penal Code, while the remaining 21 were found guilty of giving bribes under Article 364.

The court imposed the heaviest sentences on two former VFA directors, namely Nguyen Thanh Phong, who receive 20 years in prison, and Tran Viet Nga, who was sentenced to 15 years. Two former deputy directors, Nguyen Hung Long and Do Huu Tuan, were given 12 years and seven years, respectively.

Thirty other officials...