Former HCMC Party chief faces disciplinary action for Van Thinh Phat Group-related violations

The Central Inspection Committee has proposed disciplinary action against Le Thanh Hai, former member of the Politburo - the country’s highest decision-making body, and former Party chief of Ho Chi Minh City, for violations related to property group Van Thinh Phat.

An announcement released on Wednesday afternoon by the committee stated that the Party leadership of the municipal People’s Committee had violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, lacked responsibility, and showed loose leadership and direction.

As a result, the People’s Committee, many organizations and individuals seriously violated Party regulations and State laws in management and use of land, finance and assets as well as in investment, planning and construction regarding projects deployed by Van Thinh Phat Group and bidding packages/projects implemented by AIC company. Many Party organizations and members have caught up in the scandal and face criminal proceedings.

The above violations "have caused very serious consequences and led to risks of loss and waste of a huge amount of state assets and social resources, causing bad public opinion and affecting the reputation of Party organizations and the city government to the point that they must be disciplined".

The main responsibilities for these violations and shortcomings belong to the city’s Party leaderships for the tenures 2010-2015, 2011-2016 and 2016-2021; and Le Thanh Hai, 74, former Politburo member, former city Party chief and former city chairman.

Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong, former Party Central Committee members, former deputy Party chiefs, and former city chairmen, and several other Party organizations and members have also been held responsible for the violations.

The Central Inspection Committee proposed competent authorities consider disciplining Le Thanh Hai, Le Hoang Quan, and Nguyen Thanh Phong.

In March 2020, Hai was dismissed from his position of former city Party chief for the period 2010-2015. As a Politburo member and HCMC Party chief, he was mainly responsible for the violations and shortcomings of the city’s Party leadership during that period in the management and direction of investment for the Thu Thiem new urban area.

Hai was found to have violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations of the city's Party Committee. As deputy chief of the municipal Party Committee and chairman of the city during 2001-2006, Hai was mainly responsible for the violations of the people's committee as he directly signed a number of documents not in line with the policies of the city's People's Council, the 2002 Budget Law, and the 2003 Construction Law.

The Central Inspection Committee also proposed competent authorities discipline former Minister-Government Office chairman Mai Tien Dung, Bac Giang province Party chief Duong Van Thai, and assistant to National Assembly Chairman Pham Thai Ha.