An Giang province officials disciplined for violations

The Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Inspection Commission has taken disciplinary action against several sitting and retired officials of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang for their wrongdoings as the anti-corruption campaign shows no signal of slowing down.

At its meeting in Hanoi on Monday and Tuesday, the commission concluded that the Party steering board of the provincial People’s Committee violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations; showed lax responsibility and loosened leadership, leading to the committee and several organizations and individuals violating the Party’s regulations and state laws on the management and use of natural resources and minerals.

The violations have resulted in several officials and Party members being disciplined and facing criminal proceedings.

Among them, Nguyen Thanh Binh, former Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of An Giang province, was expelled from the Party in January for violations related to the country's largest illegal sand mining scam. He was arrested pending further police investigation.

The commission also concluded that the violations caused serious consequences, potential state budget losses, and triggered bad public opinion.

It decided to give warnings to the Party steering boards of the provincial People’s Committees in the 2016-2021 and 2021-2026 terms; Vuong Binh Thanh, former Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; Nguyen Trong Thanh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment; and Dinh Minh Hoang, Deputy Director of the provincial Center for Trade and Investment Promotion.

The commission also reprimanded the Party delegation of the provincial People's Council in the 2016-2021 tenure and several officials: Le Van Nung, permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council; Le Van Phuoc, permanent Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee; and two others.

The commission proposed that competent authorities consider and impose discipline against the standing board of the provincial Party Committees in the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures.

Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Deputy State President, was Secretary of the provincial Party Committee from October 2015 to April 2021.

The commission also decided to expel Le Thanh Van, a standing member of the National Assembly’s Finance and Budget Committee and a member of the legislature, from the Party for his degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle, violation of the Party’s regulation and State’s law on corruption prevention, and abuse of position and power for personal gain that caused serious consequences.

Van was arrested on July 10 pending further police investigation.