The Ministry of Public Security has asked authorities in the northern province of Vinh Phuc to confiscate a luxury villa at Tam Dao Mountain which is suspected to be owned by former chairman of Vietnam Petroleum Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC), Trinh Xuan Thanh.

The Mai Chi Villa on Tam Dao Island which is suspected to be owned by former chairman of Vietnam Petroleum Construction Joint Stock Corporation, Trinh Xuan Thanh.

A report from the ministry said that during the investigation into Thanh's charges of intentionally violating regulations on economic management that resulted in serious consequences, investigators found that the former PVC chairman involved in the Mai Chi villa which is owned by Mai Phuong, a company of his father, Trinh Xuan Gioi.

The ministry noted that any trading of the villa would be banned prior to further investigations. 

Mai Chi Villa has a total area of 3,400 square metres and is located on top the highest mountain of Tam Dao Town. 

According to some documents seen by Dantri/DTiNews, Mai Phuong Company bought the villa in 2010 from Kinh Bac Petroleum Construction & Investment Joint Stock Company (PVC-KB), a PVC subsidiary. 

A purchase agreement signed by PVC-KB's director, Do Van Hong, and Mai Phuong's chairman, Trinh Xuan Gioi showed that the villa was sold at surprisingly cheap price of VND 23.8 billion (USD1.06 million). 

Some local real estate dealers told DTiNews that the villa's prices could be several times higher than that.

However, in an interview with DTiNews about the sale of the villa in October 2016, Hong said that he sold it for VND28 billion.

It is likely that the villa sale was one of reasons that led to the recent arrest of Hong.

Hong, 50, and former deputy general director of PVC, Nguyen Manh Tien, 51, were arrested and prosecuted on April 1 as police are expanding investigation into the Trinh Xuan Thanh case.

Both men were charged with being accomplices in the intentional violation of state regulations on economic management.

According to a report from the police, Thanh had caused losses of VND3.3 trillion (USD142 million) to PVC in 2013. 

After that, he was appointed deputy office manager of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and chief representative of the ministry's office in the central region. 

In early May 2015, he was appointed as vice chairman of the southern province of Hau Giang's People's Committee.

His wrongdoings were brought to light after it was discovered that he had used a government blue plate for his luxury Lexus LX570, which raised public outrage. His promotions and appointments were also investigated.

An international arrest warrant for Thanh was issued last September after he fled the country.

Dtinews