Defendants Phan Van Anh Vu (standing, front row),Nguyen Huu Bach (standing, right, second row), Phan Huu Tuan (standing, left, second row), Bui Van Thanh (standing, right, third row), and Tran Viet Tan (standing, left, third row) at the trial on January 28 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Five former officers of theMinistry of Public Security (MPS) were brought to trial in Hanoi on January 28for public property-related wrongdoings in Da Nang city and Ho Chi Minh City.
The defendants include Phan Van Anh Vu (born in1975, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bac Nam 79 Constructioncompany, former Chairman of the Nova Bac Nam 79 company, former SeniorLieutenant Colonel and deputy head of a division at General Department V of theMPS), Nguyen Huu Bach (born in 1963, former Colonel and deputy head ofDepartment B61 under General Department V), and Phan Huu Tuan (born in 1955,former Lieutenant General and Deputy General Director of General Department V).
They were prosecuted for “abusing position andpower while performing duties” by the Supreme People’s Procuracy.
Meanwhile, Bui Van Thanh (born in 1959, formerLieutenant General and Deputy Minister of the MPS) and Tran Viet Tan (born in1955, former Senior Lieutenant General and Deputy Minister of the MPS) werecharged with “showing irresponsibility, causing serious consequences”.
According to the indictment of the SupremePeople’s Procuracy, while operating the Bac Nam 79 Construction and Nova BacNam 79 companies, Phan Van Anh Vu, in the name of the MPS, asked ministries,sectors and local administrations to rent land to him and transfer the right touse land and property on land of public housing and land projects in primepositions in Da Nang city and HCM City to him not in line with Stateregulations.
He then made them his own properties or hisrelatives’, transferred them or put them under shared ownership with otherpeople to earn illegal profits, causing losses of more than 1.159 trillion VND(about 50 million USD) to the State.
Phan Huu Tuan and Nguyen Huu Bach proposed orsubmitted documents seeking the MPS leaders’ approval that asked ministries,sectors and the People’s Committees of Da Nang and HCM City to create conditionsfor Vu’s two companies to rent land or transfer the right to use land andproperty on land. Their actions caused more than 1.134 trillion VND in lossesto the State, the procuracy said.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy blamed both thenDeputy Ministers of the MPS Bui Van Thanh and Tran Viet Tan for lackingresponsibility in management. It also attributed those violations partly to thelax management and infringement of regulations on public housing and land bysome leaders of the Da Nang and HCM City People’s Committees.
Thanh’s irresponsibility led to nearly 223billion VND in losses while Tan’s caused some 155 billion VND in losses, thesupreme procuracy added.
The trial, carried out by the Hanoi People’sCourt, is scheduled to last until January 30.-VNA
VNA
