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| Phan Van Anh Vu (Source: VNA) |
Specifically, they offered a jail penalty of 14-15 years to Phan Van Anh Vu (born in 1975, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bac Nam 79 Construction company, former Chairman of the Nova Bac Nam 79 company, former Senior Lieutenant Colonel and deputy head of a division at General Department V of the MPS), a jail term of 7-8 years to Phan Huu Tuan (born in 1955, former Lieutenant General and Deputy General Director of General Department V), and a 6-7-year imprisonment sentence to Nguyen Huu Bach (born in 1963, former Colonel and deputy head of Department B61 under General Department V).
All of them were charged with “abusing position and power while performing duties” under Article 356, the 2015 Penal Code.
Meanwhile, a jail term of 36-42 months was proposed for Tran Viet Tan (born in 1955, former Senior Lieutenant General and Deputy Minister of the MPS), and a sentence of 30-36 months in prison recommended for Bui Van Thanh (born in 1959, former Lieutenant General and Deputy Minister of the MPS).
They were accused of “showing irresponsibility, causing serious consequences” under Article 285, the 1999 Penal Code.
In addition, the Supreme People’s Procuracy suggested the court to ban the five defendants from assuming public security positions from 3-5 years after being released from prison.
According to the indictment of the procuracy, while operating the Bac Nam 79 Construction and Nova Bac Nam 79 companies, Phan Van Anh Vu, in the name of the MPS, asked ministries, sectors and local administrations to rent land to him and transfer the right to use land and property on land of public housing and land projects in prime positions in Da Nang city and HCM City to him not in line with State regulations.
He then made them his own properties or his relatives’, transferred them or put them under shared ownership with other people to earn illegal profits, causing losses of more than 1.159 trillion VND (about 50 million USD) to the State.
Phan Huu Tuan and Nguyen Huu Bach proposed or submitted documents seeking the MPS leaders’ approval that asked ministries, sectors and the People’s Committees of Da Nang and HCM City to create conditions for Vu’s two companies to rent land or transfer the right to use land and property on land. Their actions caused more than 1.134 trillion VND in losses to the State, the procuracy said.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy blamed both then Deputy Ministers of the MPS Bui Van Thanh and Tran Viet Tan for lacking responsibility in management. It also attributed those violations partly to the lax management and infringement of regulations on public housing and land by some leaders of the Da Nang and HCM City People’s Committees.
Thanh’s irresponsibility led to nearly 223 billion VND in losses while Tan’s caused some 155 billion VND in losses, the supreme procuracy added.
The procuracy said that this is a serious case which has drawn special public attention. The judgment of the case demonstrates the determination of the Party, State, and law safeguarding agencies to fight corruption, and exercise the principle of law supremacy with no prohibited zones and exceptions.
The trial, carried out by the Hanoi People’s Court, is scheduled to last until January 30.
