Appeal trial opens for former leader of HCM City

Defendant Nguyen Thanh Tai at the trial. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – The High-Level People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City opened an trial for defendants who filed appeals in a case related to wrongdoings in the transfer of “golden land plot” at No.8-12 Le Duan street in District 1.

The defendants include former Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Tai, Chairwoman of the Hoa Thang Nam (Mayflower) One-Member Limited Company and the Lavenue Investment Joint Stock Company Le Thi Thu Thuy, former Director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Dao Anh Kiet, former deputy head of the department’s land management section Truong Van Ut, and former Secretary of the District 2’s Party Committee Nguyen Hoai Nam.

According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the land plot has a total area of over 4,800 sq m, which is owned by the State and assigned to the HCM City Housing Management and Trading Company for management and leasing. On November 20, 2007, the municipal People’s Committee approved the construction of a hotel and part of a commercial centre in accordance with the Decision No 09/2007/QD-TTg.

As he was in a relationship with defendant Le Thi Thu Thuy, Tai directed Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, who served as Director of the HCM City Housing Management and Trading Company and is currently wanted, as well as Kiet, Nam, and Ut, to commit several violations of regulations.

They intentionally changed the investment policy to allow private companies to contribute capital to implement the project, and decided to lease out the land at 8-12 Le Duan without competitive bidding.

The indictment said that Tai must bear the primary responsibility, as he instructed and signed many illegal documents to shift the ownership of the land plot from the State to a private company, thus causing major losses to the State. Thuy was Tai’s accomplice and incited him to sign the illegal documents, while Kiet, Nam, and Ut followed Tai’s directions to propose the municipal People’s Committee approve incorrect recommendations.

At the trial by the municipal People’s Court in September 2020, Tai was sentenced to eight years in prison, Le Thi Thanh Thuy five years, Kiet five year, Nam four years and Ut three years behind bar, on charges of “violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”.

The appeal trial will last till December 1./.

VNA