Lê Thanh Thản at a trial in August 2023. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People's Procuracy has issued an indictment against Lê Thanh Thản, Chairman of the major conglomerate Mường Thanh Group along with Chairman and General Director of Bemes Co., Ltd., for allegedly defrauding customers under the Penal Code in connection with the CT6 Kiến Hưng housing project in Hà Nội.

The indictment was issued after the case was returned for further investigation.

In December 2025, the city People's Procuracy had previously indicted Thản on the same charge.

In the latest indictment, authorities valued the 519 apartments involved in the case at more than VNĐ2 trillion (US$78 million), nearly four times the previous valuation of more than VNĐ548 billion (nearly $21 million). The new valuation was based on actual market transaction prices at the time of valuation, rather than tax records, in an effort to safeguard the interests of affected homebuyers.

Five other defendants were indicted for “negligence causing serious consequences”.

They include former leaders of Kiến Hưng Ward and former officials of the old Hà Đông District construction inspectorate.

According to the indictment, the CT6 Kiến Hưng project was approved under a detailed 1:500 construction plan by the former Hà Tây provincial People's Committee in June 2008.

However, Thản allegedly directed the construction of the project in serious violation of the approved plan and advertised the project's legal status misleadingly from March 2011, causing customers to believe that the apartments had been legally approved and complied with construction regulations.

The project was completed in November 2012, with apartments handed over to residents from January 2013.

Investigators found that Thản had illegally changed land-use purposes and made major changes to the approved plan, including increasing the construction area and building height, changing the intended use of facilities, increasing the number of apartments and constructing the CT6C tower, which was not included in the approved plan.

For the low-rise section, the project also exceeded the approved construction area and number of units and violated the road boundary.

As a result, Thản allegedly sold 519 apartments to 519 customers who were not eligible to have their land-use and home ownership rights recognised and receive land and house ownership certificates, commonly known as red books.

The alleged proceeds from the sales totaled more than VNĐ531 billion, which the indictment identified as the amount of serious losses caused to the 519 customers.

Thản admitted the offences described in the indictment, saying he had acted hastily to seize business opportunities and had not completed the administrative procedures needed to seek approval for adjustments to the project's detailed 1:500 construction plan.

Thản had previously proposed three options to remedy the consequences, including having the violations handled under administrative regulations, relocating CT6C residents to the Thanh Hà Cienco5 urban area, or reaching agreements with residents to buy back their apartments or refund their purchase payments before demolishing the CT6C building.

During the investigation, Thản chose to negotiate with CT6C residents to buy back the apartments or refund their purchase payments and subsequently demolish the building.

However, Bemes has so far failed to reach agreements with the customers.

After the negotiations failed, Thản asked the Nam Hà Nội Branch of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam to guarantee the amounts he is required to repay to customers under the law. — VNS