Preparing for trial of former Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang
On January 18, Mr. Vu Huy Hoang and 9 accomplices were brought to trial by the Hanoi People's Court after an 11-day postponement.
This is the second time the trial has been held. Previously, the first trial, which opened on January 7, was absent from 3 defendants and many people with related rights and obligations. All 3 were sentenced to prison in another case that was tried in 2019-2020 in Ho Chi Minh City.
This trial is expected to last for a week, chaired by Judge Nguyen Ngoc Huan. To serve the trial, the panel summoned former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nam Hai, representative of Saigon Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) and 17 other people with related rights and obligations. In addition, 3 appraisers and representatives of the asset valuation council were also summoned to clarify the details. The representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade was summoned by the court as a civil plaintiff.
21 lawyers registered to defend 10 defendants, of which 3 lawyers defended Mr.Vu Huy Hoang, 2 for former Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Huu Tin, 5 defense lawyers for Le Quang Minh, former Head of Infrastructure Development Department, Department of Planning and Investment.
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| Former Minister Vu Huy Hoang arrives at court on January 7. Photo: Ngoc Thanh. |
On January 17, defending Mr. Hoang, lawyer Nguyen Huy Thiep said that his client's health was "not good" but he still tried to come to court fully so that the trial would not be interrupted. However, Mr. Hoang will ask the panel of judges to allow him to sit for questioning and receive medical assistance when necessary.
Regarding the content of the case, Mr. Hoang only accepts responsibility as the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, so he hopes the panel of judges will consider it objectively and comprehensively.
Attorney Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang said her client, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tin, was in poor health and the treating doctor said he was not fit to travel long distances. Therefore, Mr. Tin sent his medical records and a request for trial in absentia to the panel of judges.
In this case, Mr. Hoang and Phan Chi Dung (63 years old, former Director of the Department of Light Industry, Ministry of Industry and Trade) were tried for the crime ofViolations of regulations on management and use of State assets causing loss and waste,According to Clause 3, Article 219 of the Penal Code, the penalty is 10-20 years in prison.
The remaining 8 defendants are former officials and leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, including: Mr. Nguyen Huu Tin (63 years old, former Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee), Lam Nguyen Khoi (65 years old, former Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment), Dao Anh Kiet (63 years old, former Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment), Le Van Thanh (58 years old, former Deputy Chief of the Office of the City People's Committee), Le Quang Minh (63 years old, former Head of the Department of Infrastructure Development, Department of Planning and Investment), Nguyen Thanh Chuong (46 years old, former Head of the Department of Urban Affairs, Office of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee), Truong Van Ut (50 years old, former Deputy Head of the Department of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources and Environment), Nguyen Lan Chau (45 years old, former specialist of the Department of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources and Environment) were prosecuted for the crime ofViolation of regulations on land management,According to Article 229, Clause 3, the penalty is 5-12 years.
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| Mr. Nguyen Huu Tin at a trial in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huu Khoa. |
According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Mr. Hoang played a key role in directly causing the damage. He has the rights and obligations of a State owner of State-owned enterprises and enterprises with State capital invested in other enterprises under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including Sabeco.
From 2008 until the State divested in 2017, State capital in Sabeco accounted for 89.59%, so it is considered a "State-owned enterprise". The Ministry of Industry and Trade is the representative of the State owner with capital contribution in Sabeco, the Department of Light Industry monitors and manages it.
Sabeco manages the land plot at 2-4-6 Hai Ba Trung, 6,080 m2 wide.2used for non-agricultural production and business, paying annual land rent. From 2012 to 2016, Mr. Hoang directed Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa (who has fled) and Department Head Phan Chi Dung to direct Sabeco to use the land use rights and Sabeco's money to contribute capital with private enterprises to establish Sabeco Pearl to carry out real estate business projects.
After contributing capital and Sabeco completed the legal procedures, Mr. Hoang did not direct Sabeco to implement the approved project, but directed the divestment of all capital contribution (capital transfer) of Sabeco at Sabeco Pearl to the private enterprise participating in the joint venture to complete the illegal transfer of management and use rights of the land, which is State property, to private property.
The People's Procuracy determined that the defendants used land use rights or other State property rights to contribute capital and enter into joint ventures, then divested (transferred capital) in a non-transparent manner, causing losses to the State of more than VND2,700 billion.