Phạm Ngọc Tuấn in court on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The mastermind behind a scheme to disrupt a land auction in Hà Nội’s Sóc Sơn District has been jailed for three years.

The Hà Nội People’s Court on Thursday sentenced Phạm Ngọc Tuấn, a 34-year-old Hà Nội resident, for orchestrating a plot to bid over VNĐ30 billion (US$1.2 million) per square metre during a land auction in November 2024, with the intent to sabotage the process.

Five of Tuấn’s accomplices received prison terms ranging from 12 to 30 months for the same offence.

The court heard that in November 2024, upon learning that Thanh Xuân Auction Company was preparing to auction land in Đông Lai Village, Quang Tiến Commune, in the suburban district Sóc Sơn, the group conspired to pool funds, purchase bidding documents and pay deposits to register for the auction of 58 land plots.

The group agreed that from rounds one to four, they would bid below a pre-set price determined by Tuấn. If other bidders exceeded Tuấn’s set price in round four, the group would place abnormally high bids in round five.

In round six, they would refrain from bidding altogether, aiming to derail the auction and force organisers to restart the process.

Investigators found that the group deliberately inflated the prices of 36 plots in round five, driving bids from VNĐ59.4 million ($2,300) to as high as VNĐ30 billion per square metre.

As planned, they ceased bidding in round six, causing the auction to fail.

During the trial, Tuấn admitted that the group had raised over 3.6 billion ($141,000) for the deposits. He confessed to the scheme, saying he acted out of financial need to support his wife, children, and parents.

"In a moment of impulsiveness, I bid up to VNĐ30 billion per square metre," Tuấn told the court.

Ngô Văn Dương, 31, another Hà Nội resident and accomplice, said he contributed VNĐ500 million ($20,000) to the deposit pool. Dương testified that Tuấn had prepared a detailed task chart for the group before the auction.

"After learning the police were investigating, I turned myself in," Dương said.

The remaining accomplices also admitted their roles, claiming they followed Tuấn’s instructions.

The court found that the accused acted out of greed, causing public outrage and undermining the integrity of the asset auction process.

The court ordered the accused to pay over VNĐ250 million ($10,000) in damages to Thanh Xuân Auction Company and more than VNĐ165 million ($6,500) to other bidders who had purchased auction documents.

The 141,000-dollar deposit and phones and computers used in the scheme were confiscated as evidence and proceeds of crime, to be forfeited to the state budget. — VNS