Nguyen Huu Tin, former vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, at the first-instance trial that began on Thursday in HCM City. He is charged with “violation of regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Chung

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 VND800 billion (US$34 million) 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, which would subject them to 10 to 20 years in prison.

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 “Vũ Nhôm”, 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 Vũ, 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 VND1.033 trillion.

As of September 17 last year, when police began investigating the case, their acts had caused a loss of VND808.7 billion ($34.77 million) to the State.

In 2009, Vu began moonlighting as an operative for the General Department of Intelligence of the Ministry of Public Security, but left the organisation in 2017.

According to the indictment, Vu, while serving as chairman of Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC, used this firm as a front for the General Department of Intelligence.

Police said that Vu worked behind the scenes to set up five real estate agencies under either his name or the names of his family members between 2002 and 2017.

He targeted public land in Da Nang and managed to acquire 21 State-owned buildings and seven land projects in the city without going through public bidding, as required by law.

Vu was already serving a sentence of nine years behind bars after a Hanoi court found him guilty of deliberately disclosing State secrets last year.

The court has also summoned 18 individuals and organisations with related rights and obligations, including the city People’s Committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Giai Phong Film Co. Ltd, among others.

The trial is expected to end on December 30. — VNS

Former HCMC vice chairman to face trial later this month

Former HCMC vice chairman Nguyen Huu Tin will be brought to trial at the end of this month for his alleged involvement in the murky sale of a public plot of land, resulting in losses of over VND800 billion for the State.  

HCM City’s former leader prosecuted

The Supreme People’s Procuracy on September 13 issued a document on the prosecution against former Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Huu Tin and his accomplices.