Defendants at the court (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Former Chairman of the Boardof Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh LaThang was sentenced to 11 years in prison, during a trial on the case ofviolating regulations on investment in construction works, causing seriousconsequences at an ethanol plant in the northern province of Phu Tho on March15.
Thang was charged with “violating regulations on investmentin construction works, causing serious consequences” in line with Article 224,Clause 3 of the 2015 Penal Code.
Combined with sentences given to him in previouscases, Thang will spend a total of 30 years in prison.
With the same charge, former General Director of thePetroVietnam PetroChemicals and Biofuel JSC (PVB) Vu Thanh Ha was given a jailterm of six and a half years.
Tran Thi Binh, former Deputy Director General ofPetroVietnam, received a 36-month suspended sentence.
Former General Director of the PetroVietnamConstruction JSC (PVC) Pham Xuan Dieu will spend three and a half years behindbars, while former Deputy General Director of PVC Nguyen Ngoc Dung wassentenced to three years in prison.
Jail terms ranging from 24 to 30 months were handeddown to other defendants for the same charge.
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors and formerGeneral Director of the PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC) Trinh Xuan Thanhwas sentenced to 10 years in prison for “violating regulations on investment inconstruction works, causing serious consequences”, and eight years behind bars for“abusing position and power while performing duties”. Taking into accountprevious sentences, he faced life imprisonment.
Chairman of the Board of Directors and GeneralDirector of the Kinh Bac Petroleum Construction and Investment JSC Do Van Hongwas given a jail sentence of four years for “abusing position and power whileperforming duties”. Combined with sentences given to him earlier, Hong got a prisonterm of 17 years.
According to the indictment, Thang signed a resolutionto approve the investment in the project in October 2007. With Thang’sinstruction, PVC/Alfa Laval/Delta-T joint contractors, who had no previousexperience in carrying out ethanol projects, were appointed to implement theproject.
As a result, the project was continuously behindschedule and stopped in March 2013 with no construction items done.
Wrongdoings of the defendants were said to cause aloss of more than 543 billion VND (23.49 million USD).
At the court (Photo: VNA) At the court, Thanh confessed that when signing thecontract on the implementation of the project with a funding of 59 million USD,he was aware that the amount is not enough to cover the implementation.
The judge stated that Thang must take the main responsibilityin selecting the contractor.
Such wrongdoings in contractor selection have resultedin the suspension of the project, with no items completed so far, according tothe judge./.
VNA
