Nguyen Huu Tin, former vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, at the first-instance trial that began on December 26 in HCM City. He is charged with “violation of regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”. (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on December 26 opened the first-instance trial of the case of Nguyen Huu Tin, former vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, for his alleged wrongdoings in the management and use of State assets.
Tin, 62, has been charged with involvement in the sale of a public plot of land in a prime location, resulting in losses of more than 800 billion VND (34 million USD) to the State.
Other defendants include Dao Anh Kiet (former director of HCM City’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment), Nguyen Thanh Chuong (former head of the Urban Division of the Office of the city People’s Committee), Le Van Thanh (former deputy chief of the Office of the city People’s Committee), and Truong Van Ut (former deputy head of the Land Management Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment).
Tin and the four defendants are charged with “violation of regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness” under the Penal Code.
According to the indictment from the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Tin, in his former position as vice chairman of the People’s Committee, was in charge of issues regarding construction, land management and environment in the city.
Tin and the other defendants helped the now-jailed business tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu, also known as “Vu Nhom”, to acquire many other buildings and public land in prime locations in HCM City at extremely low prices, causing great damage to the State.
Tin was clearly aware that the land and buildings at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM City’s District 1 were under State management, according to the court.
Despite this, Tin instructed the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment to lease the land to Vu, former chairman of the Da Nang-based Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC, and not report the lease to the chairman of the city’s People’s Committee at that time.
The defendants then illegally handed over a 2,345sq.m lot at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM City to one of the companies owned by Vu.
They also asked Tin to issue illegal decisions on land lease, house sale and tax deductions.
In addition, Tin and the defendants also helped Vu and his partners build an 18-storey building at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM City and sell and rent it out to 114 clients, earning more than 1.033 trillion VND.
As of September 17 last year, when police began investigating the case, their acts had caused a loss of 808.7 billion VND (34.77 million USD) to the State.
The trial is expected to end on December 30./.
VNA
