Defendants in court on January 16. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — After five days of trial and deliberations, the Hà Nội People’s Court delivered its verdict on Monday, sentencing ten defendants in the Đại Ninh Project case.

The charges included bribery, giving bribes and abuse of power in the course of official duties.

Nguyễn Cao Trí, former CEO of Sài Gòn Đại Ninh Company, was sentenced to three years in prison for "giving bribes". This sentence will run with a previous six-year sentence for embezzlement, bringing his total prison time to nine years.

Six other individuals were convicted of "receiving bribes".

Sentences for these defendants ranged from two to six years in prison: Trần Văn Hiệp, former chairman of the Lâm Đồng Province People's Committee, received six years and six months; Trần Đức Quận, former secretary of the Lâm Đồng Province Party Committee, was sentenced to five years and six months; Lê Quốc Khanh, former deputy director of the Anti-Corruption and Complaints Resolution Department of the Government Inspectorate, received three years and six months; Hoàng Văn Xuân, former senior inspector at the Government Inspectorate, and Nguyễn Ngọc Ánh, former chief inspector of Lâm Đồng Province, were each sentenced to three years; Nguyễn Nho Định, former inspector at the Government Inspectorate, received two years in prison.

Three other defendants were convicted of "abusing power while performing official duties".

Mai Tiến Dũng, former minister and chief of the Government Office, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, suspended, while Nguyễn Hồng Giang, former director of Division II under the Government Inspectorate, received a 24-month sentence, also suspended.

Trần Bích Ngọc, former head of the Inspection Department of the Government Office, received a 14-month and 21-day sentence, the duration of which was counted as time served.

The case traces back to 2010 when the Lâm Đồng Province People's Committee granted an investment certificate to Sài Gòn Đại Ninh Company for the Đại Ninh Ecotourism, Commercial and Residential Area project in Đức Trọng District.

With a total investment of over VNĐ25 trillion (nearly US$1 billion), the project covered nearly 3,600 hectares and was intended to operate for 50 years.

During an inspection between 2013 and 2018, the Government Inspectorate found that Sài Gòn Đại Ninh had violated numerous regulations in the execution of the Đại Ninh project.

The company failed to meet financial obligations, neglected to pay land-use fees or compensation for environmental damage, allowed illegal land encroachments and missed project deadlines.

The Inspectorate recommended that the Prime Minister order the Lâm Đồng Province People's Committee to cancel the project and reclaim the land.

Nguyễn Cao Trí, aware of the situation, arranged to purchase the Đại Ninh project. Exploiting his connections and using bribes, Trí colluded with officials from the Government Office, the Government Inspectorate and the Lâm Đồng Province Party Committee and People’s Committee to illegally alter government decisions.

The court determined that Trí’s actions turned a project meant for cancellation, into one with an extended timeline, benefitting him and leading to the failure to reclaim 3,595 hectares of valuable land, resulting in significant waste.

Despite the project’s extension, no new construction took place and 24 violations, including illegal land encroachments and deforestation, continued unabated.

Trí bribed officials with over VNĐ7 billion to manipulate the investigation’s conclusion, changing the recommendation from project cancellation and land reclamation to allowing delays and continuing the project unlawfully.

The court concluded that the defendants’ actions had severely undermined public order, economic management and the reputation of the involved institutions, causing significant losses to the State, damaging the investment climate and eroding public trust in the Government.

The court emphasised the necessity of holding the defendants accountable to safeguard the public interest.

However, the court acknowledged the defendants’ cooperation, especially Trí's and the two former Lâm Đồng leaders’ roles in clarifying the case.

The court also took notice of their efforts to contribute towards damage restitution, applying mitigating factors, including for Mai Tiến Dũng, whose long career, health issues and contributions to public service were taken into consideration in reducing his sentence. — VNS