Mr. Le Tien Phuong, 67 years old, former chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Thuan province, was accused of violating regulations on management and use of State assets, causing loss and waste in the Phan Thiet golf course project.
On the afternoon of April 26, the Police Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security prosecuted the defendant and detained Mr. Phuong and four people to investigate the crime. Violation of regulations on management and use of State assets causing loss, waste, According to Clause 3, Article 219 of the Penal Code, including: Xa Duong Thang, former Director of the Department of Construction, former Secretary of the Bac Binh District Party Committee, Binh Thuan province; Do Ngoc Diep, former Chairman of Phan Thiet City People’s Committee; Ho Nhu Hai, former Deputy Director of Southern Information and Valuation Joint Stock Company – Binh Thuan Branch, Price Appraiser and Le Anh Huy, former Head of General Administration Department of the Provincial Land Management Department Binh Thuan.
For the same crime, the investigation agency arrested 6 other people including: Nguyen Van Phong, former Deputy Director of the Department of Finance, former Standing Committee of the Land Price Appraisal Council, former Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Thuan province; Ho Lam, former Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Thuan province; Le Nguyen Thanh Danh, former Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Thuan province; Nguyen Thanh Cho, former Head of the Land Management Department of Binh Thuan province; Le Nam Hung, former Deputy Director of the Land Management Department of Binh Thuan province and Pham Duy Cuong, former Deputy Head of the Department of Land Economics, Land Management Department of Binh Thuan province, former Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province.
As for Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, former Deputy Director of the Tax Department of Binh Thuan province, he was prosecuted and banned from leaving his place of residence.
Of the 12 people above, 6 defendants Nguyen Van Phong, Lam, Danh, Cho, Hung, Cuong are serving prison sentences in the case. Violating regulations on management and use of State assets causes loss and waste and Lack of responsibility causes serious consequencesoccurred at Tan Viet Phat 2 Commercial, Service and Residential Area Project, Binh Thuan province.
Mr. Le Tien Phuong while in office. Image: Ministry of Home Affairs
Mr. Le Tien Phuong worked as Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee before becoming Chairman of the province from 2010 to 2015. In 2022, he was removed from all positions in the party by the Secretariat for signing documents that violated the law. about land, investment, housing…
A few hours before the Ministry of Public Security announced the arrest warrant, many police officers riding in two vehicles with license plates 80A of the Ministry of Public Security entered the house of the former chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Thuan province, on Nguyen Tuong street, Phu Thuy ward, Phan Thiet city. Another working group of the Ministry of Public Security and the Procuracy also entered the house of Mr. Xa Duong Thang, former director of the Binh Thuan Department of Construction; Former Secretary of the Bac Binh District Party Committee, on Nguyen Tuong Street and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, former Deputy Tax Department of Binh Thuan, on Hung Vuong Street.
Mr. Phuong and his accomplices are accused of being involved in the Phan Thiet golf course project of more than 62 hectares. This golf course is invested by American billionaire Larry Hillblom and has been operating since 1997. In 2013, Binh Thuan province transferred capital in the project and the new investor is Rang Dong Joint Stock Company. A year later, Mr. Phuong agreed with this company’s proposal to convert golf course land to urban residential land to “invest in construction and business of villas, garden houses, townhouses, high-rise buildings and other projects.” supporting infrastructure”.
The golf course land was decided by the People’s Council of Binh Thuan province to be converted to urban land with an area of more than 620,000 m2 located in a prime location in Phan Thiet city, adjacent to Doi Duong beach and two major roads Nguyen Tat Thanh and Ton. Duc Thang, the remaining part is adjacent to the existing urban area.
Of which, the area for which land use fees must be collected is more than 363,000 m2, accounting for more than 58%; The area without land use fees is about 257,000 m2, accounting for more than 41%.
Police and prosecutors appeared in front of the house of Mr. Le Tien Phuong, former chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Thuan province, on the afternoon of April 26. Image: Nguyen Tu
On November 25, 2015, the Chairman of Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee approved the total land use fee payable of 936.8 billion VND, equivalent to more than 2.5 million VND/m2. At this time, the lowest market price in Phan Thiet and the roads surrounding the project is about 10 million VND/m2, the highest is 24 million VND/m2. The investor then builds infrastructure, divides plots to sell at prices ranging from 20 to 30 million VND/m2.
The case of Phan Thiet golf course becoming an urban area is one of 9 “golden land” projects in Binh Thuan that the Ministry of Public Security is verifying and investigating based on criminal complaints from local citizens.
In March 2023, the Ministry of Public Security also prosecuted the case Violating regulations on management and use of State assets causes loss and waste occurred at the Tan Viet Phat 2 project. In May 2023, former Chairman of Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Hai was sentenced to 5 years in prison; Former Vice Chairman of the province Luong Van Hai received 42 months in prison; Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Phong received 24 months in prison. The other 9 defendants, former leaders and officials of departments and branches of Binh Thuan province, received from 18 months of suspended prison terms to 5 years in prison.
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