VietNamNet Bridge – The Communist Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission has suggested the seizure of multiple properties belonging to former Chief Government Inspector Tran Van Truyen after uncovering "several violations of State land policies".

Truyen served as head of the Government Inspectorate (essentially the Government's anti-corruption unit) between 2007 and 2011.

After local media published a string of reports in July about his inordinately vast real estate portfolio including huge villas in Ben Tre City in Ben Tre Province and HCM City, the Party's Inspection Commission launched an investigation and discovered violations in six cases.

In 1992, a 351sq.m land plot in the southern province of Ben Tre's Phu Khuong Ward, earmarked for military purposes, was granted to Truyen by the local Military Zone 9. Truyen accepted the land plot although he was not a military personnel.

In 2002, when he was asked to pay VND16 million (US$800) as land-use right fee for the above-mentioned plot, Truyen asked for and received preferential treatment that exempted him from paying.

In 2003, provincial authorities sold Truyen a house on Le Qui Don Street in Ben Tre City under a Government decision on selling State-managed residential properties to local residents. Subsequently, the provincial Party Committee asked Truyen to return the 351sq.m land plot to the local military commander.

The former inspector agreed to return the land plot in 2007. However, the transfer of the land plot is still to take place due to disagreement in compensation between Truyen's family and local authorities.

Regarding another official accommodation in Ha Noi's Tran Quang Dieu Street that had been given to Truyen in 2004, it was found that he had failed to return it on his retirement in 2011.

It was only in May this year, after public outrage prompted a review of unreturned official accommodation that the house was returned.

Truyen's family was also found to own an extravagant villa in Ben Tre's Son Dong Commune, built on a large land lot of over 16,500sq.m with a built-up area of more than 1,200sq.m, and houses in Phu Nhuan and District 9, both in HCM City.

In all these cases, Party regulations on property ownership had been violated, inspectors found.

Following the inspections, the Party Secretariat concluded that the former Chief Inspector had committed a number of violations and also behaved in a manner not befitting Party and State officials.

In this, he failed to abide by the code of ethics and conduct prescribed for Party members, the secretariat reported. The report also said Truyen's conduct had stirred public indignation and seriously damaged his reputation as well as that of the Party.

Last week, the secretariat suggestged that authorities revoke the land plot in Phu Khuong Ward as well as the house in Phu Nhuan District.

Truyen would also have to take responsibility for his violations, it said.

VNS/VNN