Misuse of State asset case prosecuted

Hanoi (VNA) – The Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security has begun criminal proceedings against the case of violating provisions on the management and use of State assets that causes losses and wastefulness, as well as a number of organisations and individuals in Ho Chi Minh City related to Phan Van Anh Vu (alias Vu Nhom).

In their announcement made public on September 18, the ministry said those individuals include Nguyen Huu Tin, born 1957, former Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee; Dao Anh Kiet, born in 1957, former Director of the city’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Le Van Thanh, born in 1962, Deputy Chief of Office at the municipal People’s Committee; and Nguyen Thanh Chuong, born in 1974, head of the unit for urban management at the office of the city’s People’s Committee.
The four are all residing in Ho Chi Minh City and now barred from going outside their places of residence while searches will be conducted at their places of residence and work.

On the same day, criminal proceedings were also started for four others who were accused of breach of regulations on land management, as stipulated in Article No.229, the 2015 Penal Code, after the agency expanded probes into wrongdoings in projects related to Vu in the central city of Da Nang.

Among them, Dao Tan Bang, born in 1975, and Nguyen Viet Vinh, born in 1978, were taken into custody by the police. Bang was former Deputy Chief of Office at the Da Nang People’s Committee and now serves as Party Secretary of the city’s Industrial Parks; while Vinh was former head of unit for urban management at the municipal People’s Committee and at now, director of the city’s authority of inland port.

The other two are banned from leaving their places of residence, including Nguyen Van Can and Phan Xuan It, former Chief and Deputy Chief of Office at the Da Nang People’s Committee, respectively. They both were born in 1954.

The Supreme People's Procuracy issued approvals for these procedural decisions in accordance with the provisions of law.

Earlier, Vu, born in 1975 and residing in Hai Chau district, Da Nang city, was charged with deliberately disclosing state secrets, tax evasion, abusing position and power while performing duties, and violating regulations on management and use of State assets, causing loss and wastefulness.

On July 30, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Vu to nine years in prison for “deliberately disclosing state secrets” under Article 337 of the 2015 Penal Code.

A number of people have faced charges for their alleged involvement with Vu. –VNA