Trịnh Xuân Thanh, vice chairman of the southern Hậu Giang Province and former chairman of PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC). — Photo vnexpress.net

HÀ NỘI – Trịnh Xuân Thanh, vice chairman of the southern Hậu Giang Province and former chairman of PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC), will have to take responsibility for the losses during his time working at PVC, according to an announcement by the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission yesterday.

Thanh, who made headlines in national media last month, was criticised by the public for his alleged abuse of an official plate on his luxury Lexus car, which he claimed was not his.

Thanh, who was appointed to his position in May last year, explained that because of the province’s difficult financial situation, it was not able to arrange a vehicle for him to commute to work. Therefore, he’d borrowed his friend’s car for the purpose.

The car was previously registered as a private car in Hà Nội, where Thanh hails from.

After the information went public, the media dug deep into Thanh’s promotion. General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng had ordered an inspection on the promotion process in Thanh’s case.

The report by the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission said that Thanh, as the chairman of PVC during 2007 to 2013, had been negligent and was lax in the management over the corporation’s operation, resulting in many violations of the law on business management and a loss of more than VNĐ3.2 trillion (US$142 million).

“Such violations are serious and degrade people’s trust in the Party and State. As the leader of PVC, Trịnh Xuân Thanh had to take responsibility for such violations,” the report said.

The commission also said in the report that the promotion process with Thanh was incorrect. Those who nominated Thanh to other positions such as the Deputy Chief of Office at the Ministry of Industry and Trade and head of the trade ministry’s Enterprise Innovation Department, as well as the vice chairman of Hậu Giang Province also violated principles on criteria for official promotion.

The commission, therefore, suggested the Politburo and other relevant agencies to clarify mistakes and violations by individuals and bodies on Thanh’s case. Thanh’s title as a National Assembly deputy should also be abandoned.

Strict punishments should be carried out in Thanh’s case, the report concluded.— VNS