The Central Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Việt Nam had convened its 46th meeting on July 15-17 in Hà Nội to deliberate the wrongdoings of its members and appropriate disciplinary measures. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HÀ NỘI — Executives of the Việt Nam Expressway (VEC) Corporation, military commanders, and former leaders of HCM City were among the high-ranking officials to be disciplined – some even expelled from the Communist Party – following the latest round of reviews by the Party Central Inspection Commission.

The Party’s anti-corruption watchdog held its 46th meeting on July 15-17 in Hà Nội, presided over by Trần Cẩm Tú, secretary of the Party Central Committee and chairman of the commission, and released its conclusions on Monday.

Lê Quang Hào, deputy general-director of VEC and member of the VEC’s Party Committee, will be removed from the Party, following his arrest back in May on charges of violating construction regulations, leading to serious consequences.

He was identified as being responsible for conducting an unscrupulous quality inspection – and eventually giving the seal of approval – for a faulty section of Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi express in central Việt Nam.

Mai Tuấn Anh, secretary of VEC’s Party Committee and chairman of VEC, along with Trần Văn Tám, deputy secretary of VEC’s Party Committee and director-general of VEC, were to be issued with a warning.

Trần Quốc Việt, former secretary of VEC’s Party Committee and former chairman of VEC, along with Nguyễn Văn Nhi, former deputy secretary of VEC’s Party Committee and former deputy director-general of VEC, were to receive censure.

The Central Inspection Committee also asked that the Standing Committee of the Committee for Management of State Capital (CMSC) to carry out disciplinary measures against the 2015-20 tenure Standing Committee of VEC as per regulations.

The CMSC was also told to carry out administrative penalties against the wrongdoers and rearrange the positions of Mai Tuấn Anh and Trần Văn Tám.

Land mismanagement

During the time of active duty, several high-ranking military leaders were deemed to have violated the principle of democratic centralism, work regulations, and State laws on land use and management.

The commission said it would submit the case of Lieutenant General Dương Đức Hòa – a former member of the Party Central Committee, former commander of the Military Region 2 and former deputy secretary of Military Region 2’s Party Committee – to the Party Secretariat to decide on the appropriate disciplinary action.

Major General Nguyễn Hoàng, former commander of the 4th Corps and former deputy secretary of the corps’ Party Committee, and Colonel Nguyễn Trọng Lương, former chief of staff of the 4th Corps Command’s and former deputy secretary of the corps’ Party Committee, were to be issued with a warning.

Major General Phạm Lâm Hồng, former member of the Military Region 2’s Party Executive Committee and former deputy chief of the Military Region 2’s staff department, would be censured.

The commission also announced it would uphold the move for the expulsion of Senior Lieutenant Colonel Bùi Tiến Lợi, head of the Scientific Socialism subject at the School of Military Officers, from the Party.

During his time teaching the subject, Lợi was said to have written posts and made statements on social media that ran counter to the Party and State’s stance and directions, “displayed a serious degradation of political idealogy”, fomenting opportunities for hostile forces to take advantage of in their anti-Party and State acts.

Local leaders

The commission has also proposed that the Party Secretariat end Party membership for three local leaders in HCM City and Thái Bình Province for “serious violations".

Nguyễn Hữu Tín, former deputy chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee for the 2004-08 and 2011-15 tenures, and Đào Anh Kiệt, former head of the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, were to be expelled considering that they were already formally charged with land management offences for decisions concerning a formerly State-owned land lot at a prime location in downtown HCM City.

Nguyễn Văn Điều, head of the internal affairs department of Thái Bình Province’s Party Committee, was to be expelled given that his drunk driving has led to a hit-and-run accident that killed one and injured two others in early May.

Đặng Phan Chung, deputy chairman of Gia Lai Province People’s Council and member of Gia Lai Province Party Committee’s Standing Committee, was to be given a warning for having “inappropriately intervened in the activities of procedural authorities, violating the principle of democratic centralism, going against Party regulations and State law”.

The Central Inspection Commission has also ordered the inspection commission in Gia Lai Province to look into the alleged violations by Gia Lai Province police’s Party Committee in its directing and handling of investigations of cases and reports of crimes in their jurisdiction. — VNS