Ex-minister of industry and trade Vu Huy Hoang (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Court willreopen a trial for ex-minister of industry and trade Vu Huy Hoang and nine accompliceson April 22 for violations at the ministry and in Ho Chi Minh City that caused lossesof over 2.7 trillion VND (112.5 million USD).
The first-instance trial was first held on January 7. However,it was delayed due to the absence of three defendants and many other peoplewhose rights and obligations are associated with the case. The trial was heldagain on January 18 but suspended again for the same reason.
Hoang, born in 1953, and Phan Chi Dung, born in 1957and the former Director of the Light Industry Department at the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade (MoIT), were charged of “violating regulations on themanagement and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”.
The eight other defendants, who are former HCM Cityofficials, including former Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee NguyenHuu Tin, were accused of “violating regulations on land management”.
The trial is scheduled to last until April 29.
According to the indictment from the Supreme People’sProcuracy, the Saigon Beer - Alcohol - Beverage JSC (Sabeco), which is under theMoIT’s management, was given more than 6,000 sq.m in downtown HCM City for productionand business purposes.
However, Hoang, former Deputy Minister Ho Thi KimThoa, and Dung directed subordinates at the ministry and Sabeco to carry outprocedures for using land use rights and Sabeco's money as capitalcontributions to set up Sabeco Pearl, a joint venture between the firm and anumber of private enterprises, to implement a project building a hotel, a tradeand convention centre, and office space for lease on the land.
After Sabeco completed legal procedures for the jointventure’s investment and proposed the HCM City People’s Committee approve theaddition of officetel and housing functions to this project, the MoIT orderedthe company to transfer all of Sabeco's stake in this project to the privateenterprises in the joint venture.
This was illegal and resulted in a loss some 112.5million USD to the State, according to the indictment.
Another of the accused, Ho Thi Kim Thoa, has fled, andthe investigation police agency has put her on the wanted list./.
