Trial opens over land management violations at navy service

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Defendant Dinh Ngoc He at the trial that opens on May 18 (Photo: VNA)

The Military Court of the Vietnam People’s Navy opened a trial on May 18 for a case involving Dinh Ngoc He, alias “Ut troc”, and other defendants on charges of “fraud, appropriation of assets,” “violating regulations on land management,” and “lack of responsibility causing serious consequences.”

Those accused of “fraud, appropriation of assets” include Dinh Ngoc He, Deputy Director General of the Thai Son Corporation under the Ministry of National Defence, and Chairman and General Director of the Thai Son Development and Investment JSC; Pham Van Diet, General Director of the Duc Binh Group Joint Stock Company and Managing Director of the Yen Khanh Production, Trading Service Limited Company; and Vu Thi Hoan, Director of the Yen Khanh Production, Trading Service Limited Company and Director of the Yen Khanh Hai Thanh Limited Company.

Meanwhile, Bui Nhu Thiem, former head of the Economic Division at the Vietnam People’s Navy; Bui Van Nga, former Director of the Hai Thanh Service and Sea Island Tourism One-Member Limited Liability Company at the Vietnam People’s Navy; and Tran Trong Tuan, Deputy Director of the Hai Thanh Service and Sea Island Tourism One-Member Limited Liability Company, are being prosecuted for “violating regulations on land management.”

Nguyen Van Hien, former Deputy Minister of National Defence and former Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, is accused of “lack of responsibility, causing serious consequences.”

When serving as Commander of the Navy, Hien signed and approved documents, without checking, for using three defence land lots for economic purposes that ran counter to regulations of the Ministry of National Defence, the Government, and the Land Law 2013.

At its 12th plenum last week, the Party Central Committee considered and decided upon a disciplinary measure against Hien - expelling him from the Party.

Bui Nhu Thiem, Doan Manh Thao, Bui Van Nga, and Tran Trong Tuan are accused of making wrong proposals that led to Hien’s lack of checking and then approving the documents, which caused great losses.

Meanwhile, Dinh Ngoc He, Pham Van Duyet, and Vu Thi Hoan are accused of acting fraudulently by forging signatures to transfer land use rights from the Hai Thanh company to the Yen Khanh Hai Thanh company for use as collateral on bank loans.

At a trial on July 31, 2018, the Military Court of Military Zone 7 sentenced Dinh Ngoc He to ten years in jail for “abusing his position and power while performing official duties” and another two years for “using falsified documents from agencies and organisations.”