Defendants at the HCM City People’s Court. — VNA/VNS Photo Thành Chung 

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Court on December 31 sentenced former vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Hữu Tín to seven years in prison for violating regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness under Article 219 of the Penal Code 2015.
Meanwhile, former director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Đào Anh Kiệt was jailed for six years and six months, former deputy head of the land management division at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Trương Văn Út five years, former deputy chief of the Office of the municipal People’s Committee Lê Văn Thanh four years, and former head of the urban division at the Office of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Thanh Chương three years.
According to the indictment from the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Tín, in his former position as Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, was in charge of issues regarding construction, land management and environment in the city.
Tín and the other defendants helped the now-jailed business tycoon Phan Văn Anh Vũ, also known as “Vũ Nhôm”, to acquire many buildings and public land in prime locations in the city at extremely low prices, causing great damage to the State.
Tín was clearly aware that the land and buildings at 15 Thi Sách Street in HCM City’s District 1 were under State management, according to the court.
Despite this, Tín instructed the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment to lease the land to Vũ, former chairman of the Đà Nẵng-based Bắc Nam 79 Construction JSC, and not report the lease to the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee at that time.
The other defendants then illegally handed over a 2,345sq.m lot at 15 Thi Sách Street in HCM City to one of the companies owned by Vũ.
They also asked Tín to issue illegal decisions on land lease, house sale and tax deductions.
In addition, Tín and the other defendants also helped Vũ and his partners build an 18-storey building at 15 Thi Sách Street in HCM City and sell and rent it out to 114 clients, earning more than VNĐ1.033 trillion.
As of September 17 last year, when police began investigating the case, their acts had caused a loss of VNĐ808.7 billion (US$34.77 million) to the State. — VNS