VietNamNet Bridge - To be allowed to exploit sand in the Tien River, in addition to paying compulsory taxes, enterprises had to pay hundreds of millions dong (tens of thousands of USD) to some officials of the Party Committee of Hong Ngu District in Dong Thap Province.

Sand mining boats on the Tien River.

As being reported by VietNamNet, Mr. Nguyen Hong Lam, 53, and Mr. Ngo Xuan Canh, 56 - Secretary and Vice Secretary of Hong Ngu District Party Committee were prosecuted for violating rules on natural resource exploitation. They are granted bail but banned from leaving their residence.

Lam and Canh were also suspended from their positions by the Party Standing Committee of Dong Thap Province to serve inspection.

Another local official, Mr. Duong Huu Kinh, Head of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Hong Ngu District, was prosecuted for irresponsible behavior, causing serious consequences.

In addition, six officials of a private sand mining company - Ngu Binh Company - were prosecuted and arrested for "violating regulations on exploitation of natural resources and tax evasion."

Colonel Thai Thi My Trang, Chief of the Office of Dong Thap Police Agency, said that the investigators defined that the former Party Secretary of Hong Ngu District advocated his subordinates to instruct some employees of Ngu Binh Co., Ltd. to collect money from illegally sand mining boats on the Tien River.

The former Vice Party Chief Ngo Xuan Canh told Duong Tan Quoc, Director of Ngu Binh Company, who was prosecuted for "tax evasion and violations of regulations on exploitation of natural resources" to allow illegal sand mining in Thuong Thoi Tien Commune to collect money contrary to the provisions of the State.

Ngu Binh Company illegally mined sand in the Tien River in a long time thanks to the protection of the two former party officials of Hong Ngu District.

The former Party Secretary of Hong Ngu District Nguyen Hong Lam.

The former Party Secretary of Hong Ngu District admitted that, in addition to the resources tax and other taxes, every year, Ngu Binh Company had to pay the Hong Ngu Binh District Party Committee VND850 million ($43,000).

Ngu Binh Company’s sand mining licence expired in October 2011 but the firm was permitted by the Hong Ngu District Party Committee to continue mining activities, but it had to pay the committee VND30 million ($1,500) per month.

In October 2012, the illegal operation of Ngu Binh was detected. Dong Thap police arrested dozens of vessels that illegally mined sand on the Tien River.

The investigators said that there was a period of time that nearly 200 illegal sand mining boats operated in the Tien River, causing heavy losses for Dong Thap Province.

The police are further investigating the case.

Chan Phong - Quoc Huy