The Ministry of Public Security announced the sacking of Colonel Huynh Tien Manh, 54, director of the province police department, on Thursday, two days after he lost all his party positions, including secretary of the province police's party unit.

According to the Central Inspection Committee, the Party's top watchdog, Manh was mainly responsible for violations committed by the Dong Nai police's Communist Party unit during his tenure in 2015-20.

The Secretariat of the Central Party Committee said Manh's violations had dented the prestige of the party and the police, and caused public disaffection, and exhorted the Ministry of Public Security to impose further punishment on him.

The inspection committee had said in July that poor management of the Dong Nai police's party unit had resulted in wrongdoing related to investigation and handling of criminal cases, management and use of weapons, land, finance, assets, and personnel.

Manh is a native of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

Vietnam's Communist Party has four levels of punishment for erring members: reprimand, warning, demotion, and expulsion. The executives have a similar four-tier punishment structure with the last one being dismissal.

The ministry has named Colonel Van Quyet Thang, currently deputy director of the Dong Nai police department, as director pending the appointment of a replacement for Manh.

In the last three years a sweeping corruption crackdown spearheaded by Party chief and President Nguyen Phu Trong has snared scores of high-profile officials, including top cops and top military officers.