Former district chairman proposed 12-13 years in prison

The People's Procuracy of Phu Yen Province proposed that Nguyen Tai, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Hoa District (Phu Yen), be sentenced to 12-13 years in prison in a case of intentionally violating regulations when implementing compensation and site clearance for the Vung Ro Oil Refinery project.

On September 12, the first-instance trial of the case of intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences at the People's Committee of Dong Hoa district (Phu Yen) continued with the debate.

Presenting the indictment and proposing a solution to the case, the representative of the provincial People's Procuracy requested the panel of judges to declare 16 defendants guilty of intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences, of which 15 defendants were former officials of Dong Hoa district.

16 defendants listen to the representative of the People's Procuracy argue the charges and propose sentences. Photo: TAN LOC

Regarding the sentence, the representative of the People's Procuracy proposed that the People's Court sentence Nguyen Tai, former chairman of the district People's Committee, to 12-13 years in prison; Nguyen Kich, former director of the district Land Fund Development Center, deputy head of the Compensation and Site Clearance Board for the Vung Ro Oil Refinery project, to 10-11 years in prison; and Huynh Ngoc Thang, former deputy director of the district Land Fund Development Center, to 4-5 years in prison.

Although they were all prosecuted under the provisions of Clause 3, Article 165 of the Penal Code, with a penalty of 10-20 years in prison, the remaining 13 defendants were all recommended by the Procuracy to be given suspended sentences. Among them, there are many former officials such as Huynh Ngoc Suong, former Standing Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee; Nguyen Ky Tong, former Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, with two years and six months to three years in prison suspended; Duong Van Nhan, former Deputy Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, with two years and two years and six months in prison suspended; Le Van Hoang, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Tam commune, with two to three years in prison suspended...

The defendants, who are experts from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the District Land Fund Development Center, the Department of Finance and Planning, the Department of Economic Infrastructure, etc., were all recommended to be given suspended sentences. The only defendant, a civilian - Nguyen Huu Phi (56 years old, residing in Ward 7, Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen) was recommended by the Procuracy to be sentenced to 1-2 years in prison with a suspended sentence.

Defendant Nguyen Tai, former chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Hoa district, was proposed by the People's Procuracy to be sentenced to 12-13 years in prison. Photo: TAN LOC

In the indictment, the representative of the People's Procuracy stated: As the head and director of all activities of the People's Committee of Dong Hoa district, including compensation work, Nguyen Tai directed Huynh Ngoc Thang and Huynh Ngoc Suong to develop a plan and sign and issue a decision approving the compensation, support, and resettlement plan in violation of the law.

During the process of directing the implementation of compensation, Nguyen Tai made changes that violated the prescribed appraisal procedures, skipped appraisal, and skipped approval of the plan...

Nguyen Tai directed the Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Tam Commune to legalize four technical documents of Nguyen Huu Phi's land plots exceeding the limit to four other people to receive illegal compensation, causing damage to State property. Nguyen Tai also directed compensation for a number of households that built houses illegally. Nguyen Tai's illegal actions in establishing, appraising, and approving compensation and resettlement support plans for the Vung Ro Oil Refinery project caused a loss of more than 9 billion VND to the State.

The representative of the People's Procuracy said that during the investigation and in court, the defendant Nguyen Tai's claim that he was wrongly accused was an excuse without evidence to evade criminal responsibility.

Regarding civil liability, the representative of the People's Procuracy of Phu Yen province requested the panel of judges to force Nguyen Tai to compensate 25% of the total damage to the State of more than 9.2 billion VND. The People's Procuracy requested that the three defendants Huynh Ngoc Suong, Nguyen Kich, and Nguyen Ky Tong compensate 25% of the total damage. The remaining defendants must compensate 50% of the total damage.

The trial is still ongoing, scheduled to last until September 14.

According to Plo.vn