Health, charity workers indicted for selling kids for adoption

Sixteen former medical and orphanage officials in the northern province of Nam Dinh faced trial September 22 for allegedly forging documents to give away 266 children in adoption to foreigners for cash.

They include a director of two centers for orphaned and abandoned children and 13 heads of commune medical centers, who allegedly earned up to billions of dong between 2005 and July 2008 by making corrupt use of their authority.

Tran Thi Luong, 46, a former director of the Y Yen District center, is charged with faking papers for 102 children of whom 101 have already been taken out of the country.

Vu Dinh Khan, 54, former director of the Truc Ninh District Social Welfare Center and head of the Viet Hung Commune medical center, had 222 children adopted in this manner by foreigners.

They colluded with Truong Cong Lich, head of the Y Yen medical centers, Vu Dinh Loi, head of other medical centers in the district, and Tran Trong Lam, a noodle trader, to prepare false documents for 266 children saying they had been abandoned.

Each member of the ring received from 5 million to dozens of millions of dong, according to the indictment.

, an official of Nam Dinh Province Judicial Department, and

, a policeman, are being charged with “lack of responsibility when on duty.”

Xuan has been suspended and Xa was disciplined.

By A. Minh - Translated by Uyen Phuong