Four party members in village 2/9, Chau Khe commune were expelled from the party, including: Nguyen Thi Hoai, former Party cell secretary; Tran Van Hung, former Deputy Party cell secretary and village chief; Nguyen Van Sang, former Youth Union cell secretary, deputy village chief and police officer; and Nguyen Hong Phong, former Party cell committee member and head of the Farmers' Association.

In decisions No. 180, 181, 182, 183-QD-HU dated February 23, 2021 of the Con Cuong District Party Committee, it is stated that these party members have reduced fighting spirit, lack of self-cultivation and training, and have committed acts of creating false records to appropriate property in compensation for site clearance.Chi Khe commune low-head hydropower project- violating state laws and policies.

Former officials of village 2/9 were prosecuted for the act of Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties, including Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoai, Ms. Tran Van Hung, and Ms. Nguyen Hong Phong, who are party members. Photo: Duc Vu

For the act of "Abusing position and power in performing official duties", at the first instance trial on February 3, 2021, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai and Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong were sentenced by the People's Court of Con Cuong district to 1 year and 3 months of non-custodial reform; Mr. Tran Van Hung was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a suspended sentence, a probationary period of 3 years from the date of the court's verdict, Mr. Nguyen Van Sang was sentenced to 9 months of non-custodial reform.

The above violations not only damage the reputation of the party members themselves, the organization and the party cell where the party members are active, but also cause bad public opinion among cadres, party members and a part of the people.

Chi Khe hydroelectric reservoir. Photo: Tien Hung

Considering that these party members violated Clause 1, Article 40, Regulation No. 30-QD-TW dated July 26, 2016 of the Central Executive Committee and Clause 5, Article 2, Regulation No. 102-QD/TW dated November 15, 2017 of the Politburo on disciplinary action against violating party members and disciplinary action is needed to ensure strictness.

Pursuant to the Party Charter, regulations on inspection, supervision and enforcement of party discipline; Pursuant to Judgment No. 5/2021/HS-ST dated February 3, 2021 of the First Instance Trial Council of Con Cuong District People's Court; Submission No. 55-TTR/UBKTHU dated February 22, 2021 of the Inspection Committee of Con Cuong District Party Committee, on February 23, 2021, the Standing Committee of Con Cuong District Party Committee issued decisions to enforce party discipline in the form of expulsion against party members: Nguyen Thi Hoai, Tran Van Hung, Nguyen Hong Phong, Nguyen Van Sang of Party Cell 2/9, Party Committee of Chau Khe Commune.

Previously, as reported by Nghe An Newspaper, on August 17, 2020, the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province approved the decisions of the Investigation Police Agency of Nghe An province to prosecute the defendants including Tran Van Hung (born in 1965), Nguyen Thi Hoai (born in 1974), Tu Van Minh (born in 1954), Nguyen Hong Phong (born in 1969), all residing in Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district and former cadres of village 2/9.

During the initial investigation, the Economic Police Department, Nghe An Provincial Police clarified: Chi Khe Hydropower Project, invested by Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company, was granted an investment certificate by Nghe An Provincial People's Committee on April 5, 2010, the construction site on Ca River, Chi Khe Commune, Con Cuong District.

To implement the Chi Khe Hydropower project, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district established the Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council for the Low Head Hydropower Project in Chi Khe commune, Con Cuong district (abbreviated as the Compensation Council). Le Anh Duc is an employee of Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company and was appointed to the Compensation Council on April 16, 2014. On April 22, 2014, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district decided that Le Anh Duc would be a member of the working group of the Compensation Council.

Since April 2014, the Council of Compensation has been preparing a plan for property compensation. Around August 2014, Le Anh Duc and the Council of Compensation's support team prepared documents and counted assets in Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune, Con Cuong District. During the implementation process, Le Anh Duc discussed and agreed with Mr. Tran Van Hung, Tu Van Minh, Nguyen Hong Phong and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoai to create many fake compensation documents and falsely declare additional trees on the land plots managed by the Village Management Board that had been contracted to households to receive compensation.

By June 24, 2015, Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company announced to pay compensation to individuals and organizations, including the above-mentioned false compensation documents, causing hundreds of millions of dong in damages. This amount of money was shared by Le Anh Duc and 4 former officials of village 2/9, Chau Khe commune, namely Tran Van Hung, Nguyen Thi Hoai, Tu Van Minh, and Nguyen Hong Phong.

During the investigation, the Nghe An Provincial Police Department also clarified the act of abusing his position and power in performing official duties of Mr. Nguyen Van Sang, former Secretary of the Youth Union and Deputy Head of Village 2/9, Chau Khe Commune, and at the same time recovered all the money that the subjects benefited from the fake documents.