Two former Chairmen of Khanh Hoa province were prosecuted

On February 27, Khanh Hoa People's Procuracy issued an indictment, requesting the Provincial People's Court to bring Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang (67 years old) and Le Duc Vinh (57 years old) to trial for the crime of Violating regulations on land management under Clause 3, Article 229, Penal Code - the highest penalty is 12 years in prison.

Three former Directors of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) through different periods, namely Mr. Dao Cong Thien (60 years old, former Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee), Vo Tan Thai (61 years old), Le Mong Diep (67 years old); Le Van De (60 years old, former Director of the Department of Construction), Tran Van Hung (former Head of the Department of Land Management under the DONRE) were also proposed to be tried for the same crime.

Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, former Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, listened to the indictment and temporary detention order at his home in Nha Trang City in June. Photo: An Phuoc

Seven former provincial leaders were accused of signing many documents that violated regulations in allowing changes in land use purposes, granting land use right certificates, leasing land, and approving land prices related to the Cuu Long Son Tu Spiritual Ecology project and the Vinh Trung River and Mountain Villa project in the Chin Khuc mountain area in Khanh Hoa.

The Cuu Long Son Tu Spiritual Ecological Project was formerly the Dat Lanh Villa and Ecological Area Project invested by Khanh Hoa Production and Construction Company Limited. In 2009, the province had a policy of allocating more than 513 hectares of forestry land in the Chin Khuc mountain area to the above enterprise to build a farm economic zone, with the goal of afforestation and forest regeneration. The province also adjusted more than 3.5 hectares of commercial service land to 5.3 hectares of land for spiritual works and Buddha statues on the mountain.

According to the provincial People's Procuracy, Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, while serving as Chairman of the provincial People's Committee for the 2011-2015 term, signed documents directing investment and project implementation. The assignment of the project to the investor was determined to be against regulations and a violation of the Land Law when adjusting non-agricultural production and business land into commercial and service land.

Mr. Le Duc Vinh, former Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee at the time of his arrest in June. Photo: An Phuoc.

Mr. Dao Cong Thien, while holding the position of Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, signed and issued a land use right certificate to the investor, establishing the State's land use right contrary to the law, planning and land use plan.

While in office, Mr. Le Mong Diep signed documents advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue illegal decisions on land allocation. Mr. Vo Tan Thai signed documents advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue two adjusted investment certificates for the enterprise implementing the above project, which is against regulations. He also wrongly advised the Provincial People's Committee to adjust the land use purpose of the project and issue land use right certificates that are not in accordance with the planning.

Mr. Tran Van Hung directly advised and signed many reports violating the law in land allocation and adjusting land use purposes at the above project.

The Vinh Trung River and Mountain Villa project is invested by Khanh Hoa Production and Construction Company Limited, originating from the Vinh Trung environmental landscape and eco-tourism afforestation project, licensed by the Provincial People's Committee in 2008.

In 2015, Mr. Le Duc Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, signed a decision to change the name of the enterprise to Vinh Trung Villa and Eco-tourism Area, implemented in the forest sub-area 573 of Chin Khuc mountain with an area of ​​29 hectares.

Three years later, when he held the position of Provincial Chairman, Mr. Vinh continued to sign the investment policy decision for the Vinh Trung River and Mountain Villa project with housing and commercial services covering an area of ​​over 19.6 hectares. Of which, there are 6.5 hectares of residential land and nearly 3.9 hectares of commercial service land.

Mr. Vinh was accused of signing land allocation decisions that violated land management laws, namely land allocation without determining the land use fee, and land allocation in the field before the investor fulfilled its financial obligations. Land allocation and land use purpose change violated land use planning and plans.

A corner of Chin Khuc Mountain in Nha Trang City, where the enterprise is implementing the project: Photo: An Phuoc

Mr. Le Van De (from 2010 to 2020), as Director of the Department of Construction, reported the appraisal and proposed the Provincial People's Committee to approve the detailed planning contrary to the general planning. This was the basis for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to issue a consultation with the Provincial People's Committee to allow Khanh Hoa Production and Construction Company Limited to change the land use purpose of nearly 20 hectares from production forest land to non-agricultural land contrary to the law.

Mr. Tran Van Hung and Le Mong Diep signed a document requesting the Provincial People's Committee to allow the enterprise to change the land use purpose to implement a project that is not in accordance with the planning and land use plan according to the planning.

Previously, in consecutive months of 2021, the above former leaders and officials were prosecuted and temporarily detained.