Former Thanh Hoa province chairman placed under house arrest over land price violations

Nguyen Dinh Xung, former chairman of central Vietnam's Thanh Hoa province, has been banned from leaving his residence from Saturday, pending investigations into his suspected involvement in the Hac Thanh Tower project.

On the same day, the provincial Police's investigative agency launched legal proceedings against Cu Dinh Hien, former deputy chief of the provincial People's Committee Office; and Bui Van Nam, former deputy head of the office's economic and financial division. They were also placed under house arrests.

The trio have been investigated under the Penal Code for alleged violations of regulations on management and use of state assets, causing losses and wastefulness.

According to the investigative agency, the three former officials allegedly committed violations during the approval of land use fees paid to the state budget by Song Ma Joint Stock Company for the Hac Thanh Tower project in Thanh Hoa town.

In 2013, as vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Xung was assigned to be in charge of price verification. On January 29, 2013, the committee issued a decision to allocate nearly 2,959 square meters of land at No. 3 Phan Chu Trinh street, Thanh Hoa town to Song Ma JSC's Hac Thanh Tower project.

On December 23, 2013, Xung signed a decision approving land use fees paid by Song Ma JSC for the Hac Thanh Tower project at VND21 million ($860 under the current exchange rate) per square meter, which had been set in 2009, causing a loss of more than VND55.8 billion ($2.27 million) to the state budget.

Also relating to this project, on August 13, 2023, the investigative agency searched the residence and workplace of Dinh Xuan Huong, secretary of the Nhu Thanh district Party Committee and former general director of Song Ma JSC, and arrested him for further investigating his violations of regulations on management and use of state assets causing loss and wastefulness.

On the same charge, the police detained Nguyen Manh Son, former chairman of Song Ma JSC.

Previously, on October 5, 2022, the provincial police launched legal proceedings against Dinh Cam Van, former director of the provincial Department of Finance, for abusing positions and power while performing official duties under the Penal Code.

In July 2023, the Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission proposed the committtee's Politburo and Secretariat to discipline two former Party chiefs of Thanh Hoa province, Mai Van Ninh and Trinh Van Chien, and many other former officials, including Xung.