Former Major Phạm Xuân Sáng at the court in Đắk Nông Province. – Photo dantri.com.vn |
ĐẮK NÔNG — Đắk Glong District People’s Court in Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông on Thursday sentenced a former police major to nine months in prison for the crime of forest destruction.
Phạm Xuân Sáng, 44, was also head of the anti-terrorism unit of the provincial Police Department.
Defendant Trần Văn Tuân, 44, a resident of Gia Nghĩa Township was also sentenced to 13 months in prison for forest destruction and fraudulent misappropriation of property.
According to the indictment, in early 2015, Sáng suggested Tuân buy 3ha of land in Đắk Hà Commune managed by the People’s Committee of Đắk Glong District for VNĐ180 million (US$8,000).
But each had to buy half of the land because Tuân did not have enough money.
Tuân mortgaged his home ownership document and then gave Sáng VNĐ161 million to buy the land.
After that, they hired five local residents to cut down trees on the land for two months.
After a short time, Tuân was reluctant to continue and asked Sáng to return the money he gave Sáng before because he was afraid rangers would discover their illegal work.
By the end of May 2016, Sáng returned to Tuân VNĐ100 million. But all of them were arrested later.
On March 2017, local authorities determined that Tuân and Sáng destroyed more than 8,400sq.m of forest land.
Tuân was also convicted of cheating other people to buy land. — VNS