Four party members in Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune, have been expelled from the party, including: Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai, former Party Branch Secretary; Mr. Tran Van Hung, former Deputy Party Branch Secretary and Hamlet Head; Mr. Nguyen Van Sang, former Youth Union Secretary, Deputy Hamlet Head and Police Officer; and Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, former Party Branch Committee Member and Head of the Farmers' Association.

Decisions No. 180, 181, 182, and 183-QD-HU dated February 23, 2021, of the Con Cuong District Party Committee clearly state that these Party members have shown a decline in their fighting spirit, lacked self-cultivation and training, and engaged in the act of fabricating documents to misappropriate assets in land compensation and resettlement.Chi Khe commune low head hydropower project- Violation of state laws and policies.

Former officials of village 2/9 have been prosecuted for abusing their positions and authority while performing their duties, including Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai, Mr. Tran Van Hung, and Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, all of whom are Party members. (Photo: Duc Vu)

For the offense of "Abusing official position and authority in the performance of public duties," at the first-instance trial on February 3, 2021, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai and Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong were sentenced by the Con Cuong District People's Court to 1 year and 3 months of non-custodial correctional training; Mr. Tran Van Hung was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years from the date of sentencing; and Mr. Nguyen Van Sang was sentenced to 9 months of non-custodial correctional training.

The aforementioned violations not only damage the reputation of the party members themselves, the organizations, and the party branches where the party members are active, but also create negative public opinion among cadres, party members, and a segment of the population.

The reservoir of the Chi Khê hydroelectric power plant. Photo courtesy of Tiến Hùng.

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

Based on the Party Charter, regulations on inspection, supervision, and disciplinary enforcement within the Party; based on Judgment No. 5/2021/HS-ST dated February 3, 2021, of the First Instance Court of the People's Court of Con Cuong District; and Report No. 55-TTR/UBKTHU dated February 22, 2021, of the Inspection Committee of the Con Cuong District Party Committee, on February 23, 2021, the Standing Committee of the Con Cuong District Party Committee issued decisions to enforce disciplinary action in the form of expulsion from the Party against the following Party members: Nguyen Thi Hoai, Tran Van Hung, Nguyen Hong Phong, and Nguyen Van Sang, belonging to the Party branch of Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune Party Committee.

As previously 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), and Nguyen Hong Phong (born in 1969), all residing in Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district, and formerly officials of village 2/9.

During the initial investigation, the Economic Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police clarified that the Chi Khe Hydropower Project, invested by Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company, was granted an investment certificate by the People's Committee of Nghe An Province on April 5, 2010. The construction site is located on the Ca River in 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 Chi Khe Low Head Hydropower Project in Con Cuong District (hereinafter referred to as the Compensation Council). Le Anh Duc, an employee of Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company, 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 support team for the Compensation Council.

From April 2014, the Compensation Council began developing a plan for property compensation. Around August 2014, Le Anh Duc and the Compensation Council's support team compiled documents and inventoried assets in Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune, Con Cuong District. During this process, Le Anh Duc conspired with Mr. Tran Van Hung, Mr. Tu Van Minh, Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai to create numerous fraudulent compensation files and falsely declare additional trees on land plots managed by the Hamlet Management Board that had been leased to households in order to receive compensation money.

On June 24, 2015, Chi Khe Hydropower Joint Stock Company announced the payment of compensation to individuals and organizations, including those with fraudulent compensation files mentioned above, causing hundreds of millions of dong in losses. This money was divided among Le Anh Duc and four former officials of Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune: Tran Van Hung, Nguyen Thi Hoai, Tu Van Minh, and Nguyen Hong Phong.

During the investigation, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Nghe An Provincial Police also clarified the abuse of power and authority in the performance of official duties by Mr. Nguyen Van Sang, former Secretary of the Youth Union and Deputy Head of Hamlet 2/9, Chau Khe Commune, and recovered all the money that the individuals benefited from through the fraudulent documents.