VietNamNet Bridge – On the morning of February 22, Binh Phuoc Provincial Police Department prosecuted and arrested two department deputy directors and the director of a center of the province.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Canh was escorted out of the Property Auction Centre (Photos: Binh Phuoc newspaper)

The arrestees consisted of Mr. Nguyen Tuan Canh, 53, deputy director of the Department of Justice and Director of the Center for Auction Services of Binh Phuoc province; Mr. Truong Van Pham, Deputy Director of the Finance Department; and Mr. Nguyen Minh Luan, Director of the Land Development Fund, former chief of the Price and Public Asset Management Division (under the Binh Phuoc Department of Finance).

They were arrested for four months for investigation on charges of "willful act in contravention of the provisions of the State causing serious consequences."

The Police also raided the workplaces of these defendants.

According to initial investigation, the three defendants made many mistakes in the auction of 323ha of rubber land in Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc.

Specifically, in 2010, the People's Committee of Binh Phuoc Province granted permission to sell the whole lot to invest in the project to expand Highway 13.

The defendant voluntarily sold the land to a number of individuals at the prices of 30% cheaper than the market price without permission of the competent authority, causing loss to the state of more than VND25 billion (over $1 million).

Binh Phuoc province has recovered 31.3 hectares of rubber land in this case.

Earlier on February 21, the three defendants were suspended from the Party’s activities by the Binh Phuoc Party Committee.

M.Duc