Ex-lawmaker Luu Binh Nhuong accused of profiteering hundreds of thousands of US dollars

Luu Binh Nhuong, former vice head of the National Assembly’s Ombudsman Committee, has been additionally charged with abusing his positions and power to influence other people for illicit gains.

The Thai Binh province police's investigative agency on Tuesday launched legal proceedings against Nhuong for the alleged second crime per the Penal Code.

On November 14, the investigative agency arrested Nhuong on charges of extortion per the Penal Code - his alleged first crime. The move was the result of an expanded investigation against Pham Minh Cuong, a 37-year-old notorious gangster in the northern province.

The investigators identified Nhuong's "second crime" when they expanded their investigation into the case. Nhuong was accused of abusing his positions and power to influence others for personal gains.

They said in this case, Nhuong illegally earned "hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars" during his time as a National Assembly member and vice head of the National Assembly’s Ombudsman Committee.

Pham Minh Cuong was arrested on charges of extortion in May 2023. The investigative agency determined that while extorting money from some sand mining companies, Cuong was hindered by several groups of gangsters. But he claimed Nhuong was his adoptive father and asked Nhuong to intervene and influence Thai Binh province authorities so that the gangsters stopped causing trouble.

According to authorities, Cuong led a group of gangsters who self-claimed the right to use 180 tidal flats in Thai Thuy district. He forced the businesses to pay for the sand they exploited. Specifically, a ship must pay VND1,500 ($0.06) per one m3 of sand.

From 2020 to 2022, Cuong's group confiscated VND5 billion ($205,000) from a number of businesses licensed by the People's Committee of Thai Binh province to exploit coastal sand in Thuy Truong commune, Thai Thuy district.

Cuong was found to have profiteered billions of VND (VND1 billion = $41,200) from his wrongdoings. Legal proceedings were also launched against him for “assault” and “disturbing public order” in April 2022.

Luu Binh Nhuong, born in 1963, was a National Assembly member in 2016-2021, or the 14th tenure of parliament. He is not a National Assembly member in the current (15th) tenure but was a vice head of the National Assembly’s Ombudsman Committee since his appointment in 2018. He has a doctorate degree in economic laws.

Nhuong is well-known for outspoken statements during National Assembly meetings and discussions.

In a December 20 release, the Central Inspection Committee stated that it had removed Nhuong from the Vietnam Communist Party for "abusing his positions and power for personal gains".

According to the committee, Nhuong showed deterioration of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, and signs of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation".

"Self-evolution" and "self-transformation" indicate internal changes of a Party member from perception to action, making them turn from a good person to a bad one. In the worst possibility, they may counter the Party, the State and the people.

Nhuong also breached Party regulations and State laws, violated regulations on the Party members' code of conduct and their responsibility to set an example while performing their duties, took advantage of positions and power for personal gain, violated the Law on Protection of State Secrets, and negatively affected the reputation of Party organizations and State agencies.

The Thai Binh police said this as a particularly serious case, causing frustration among the people and seriously affecting the province's investment environment. They are expanding the investigation.