Nghe An: Prosecuted 4 commune officials and civil servants for selling land without authority

Entrance gate to the headquarters of the Party Committee and People's Committee of Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky). Photo: NH

According to the reporter's source, on the morning of February 21, the Investigation Police Agency of Nghe An Province prosecuted four men: Ngo Xuan Nghia (former Secretary of the Party Committee of Nghia Dong Commune, retired); Mr. Trinh Huu Minh (former Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Nghia Dong Commune, retired); Mr. Tran Van Tuyen, a cadastral official of Nghia Binh Commune and Mr. Nguyen Cong Dung, a former financial official of Nghia Dong Commune, retired.

The three defendants Minh, Tuyen, and Dung were temporarily detained. Defendant Nghia was released on bail due to health reasons and was prohibited from leaving his place of residence.

According to the leader of the Economic Police Department of Nghe An Province Police, the above defendants were all prosecuted for investigation of the crime of Abuse of Power in the performance of official duties. Specifically, these defendants had been selling land without authority for a long time, causing huge economic losses to the state.

At the time of the above acts, defendant Ngo Xuan Nghia was Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, defendant Trinh Huu Minh was Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, defendant Tran Van Tuyen was a land official (recently transferred to Nghia Binh Commune) and defendant Nguyen Cong Dung was a finance official.

According to the police agency, the investigation agency has initially prosecuted 4 defendants, and other officials who committed violations during the above period are being considered in accordance with legal regulations.

In November 2018, the People's Court of Nghe An province also sentenced the defendants: Thai Doan Ton (former Party Secretary of Nghia Thai commune, Tan Ky) to 2 years in prison; Phan Xuan Thuy (former Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghia Thai commune, Tan Ky) to 2 years in prison and Phan Kim Chau (former cadastral officer of Nghia Thai commune) to 15 months of suspended imprisonment for the crime of Abuse of power in the performance of official duties.

From 2001 to 2006, these defendants sold 143 plots of land, collecting more than 1.4 billion VND. The proceeds were mostly used to pay for infrastructure construction; pay debts, and request capital to build works for the commune. The investigation agency determined that the defendants' allocation of land for payment to households exceeded their assigned authority.