Slew of provincial leaders face disciplinary action

Disciplinary action or prison sentences were handed to many provincial and military officials on Friday for their lack of responsibility, abuse of power, and receipt of bribes.

Phu Yen chairman warned over violations

The Party Central Inspection Committee warned on Friday Tran Huu The, deputy chief of Phu Yen’s Party Committee and Chairman of the south-central province, while disciplining many other local officials.

The committee simultaneously warned Pham Dinh Cu, former deputy chief of the provincial Party Committee and former Chairman of Phu Yen; Le Van Truc and Le Kim Anh, former vice chairmen of the province.

Also warned were Nguyen Thi Mong Ngoc, director of Phu Yen's Department of Health; Do Duy Vinh, former director of the Department of Finance; and Nguyen Nhu Thuc, former director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Earlier at a June meeting, the inspection committee concluded that Phu Yen Chairman Tran Huu The and many other local officials had committed violations, causing serious consequences to the point of having to face disciplinary action.

“The leaders of Phu Yen's Party Committee violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations; lacked responsibility, showed loose leadership and direction, and lacked inspection and supervision.”

As a result, many organizations and individuals violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws on management and use of state land and property, forests and mineral resources; on investment and procurement of medical equipment and materials; and on organizing civil employee recruitment exams for the year 2017-2018.

A number of officials and Party members, including key leaders of the Phu Yen People's Committee, were punished as criminals.

Gia Lai chairman faces disciplinary action

Vo Ngoc Thanh, deputy chief of Gia Lai’s Party Committee and Chairman of the Central Highlands province, and three vice chairmen committed violations to the point of deserving disciplinary action, according to the Party Central Inspection Committee.

The inspection agency concluded that the Party leaders at Gia Lai People’s Committee violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, lacked responsibility, and showed loose leadership and direction.

This resulted in the People’s Committee, organizations and individuals violating the Party’s regulations and State’s laws on land, planning, investment, construction, bidding, housing; forest protection and development; practicing thrift and combating wastefulness in the implementation of a number of projects in the locality. They dishonestly reported to superior authorities when proposing to approve the investment policy for the Dak Doa golf course project.

The violations have caused serious consequences, the risk of great damage to forest resources, money and property of the State, a great waste of investment resources, anger in society, and bad influence on the prestige of the State, local Party officials and local authorities to the extent that they must face disciplinary action,” concluded the inspection commission.

Deputy director of Bac Lieu's Department of Construction prosecuted

Nguyen Van Tham, deputy head of the Department of Construction in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, was accused of lacking responsibility when working as a leader in a previous state agency.

This resulted in his subordinates appropriating more than VND6.5 billion ($277,000) from the state coffers.

Tham was on Friday prosecuted by Bac Lieu’s police but remains on bail for the “lack of responsibility causing serious consequences” under the Penal Code.

The investigative agency alleges that Tham, during his tenure as director of Bac Lieu’s Project Management Board in 2006-2012, lacked responsibility, failing to check accounting books, resulting in treasurer Bach Thu Loan appropriating over VND6.5 billion from the state budget.

At the end of 2021, Loan was sentenced to life in prison by a first-instance court in Bac Lieu for the crime of embezzling state property.

Former generals sentenced to 12-15 years in prison

Le Van Minh, former Major General of the Coast Guard Zone 4 Command, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Le Xuan Thanh, former Major General of the Coast Guard Zone 3 Command got 12 years behind bar for receiving bribes in a case involving the smuggling of 200 million liters of RON 95 petrol worth around VND2.8 trillion ($130 million) into Vietnam.

The Military Court of Military Zone 7 issued the rulings Friday after four days of trial.

The court banned the two defendants from holding jobs and positions in state agencies for five years after serving their prison sentences.

Minh was found guilty of “abusing his position and power for self-seeking motives”, directly and through his wife and children, receiving VND6.9 billion ($294 million) from the head of the petroleum smuggling ring, Phan Thanh Huu, director of the Phan Le Hoang Anh Trading Company Limited. Thanh let his wife receive VND1.8 billion.

Both were found guilty of “protecting” smuggling activities “for a long time, with a frequency of many smuggling trips per month”.

Former Colonel Nguyen The Anh, commander of Kien Giang province’s Border Guard, was sentenced to life imprisonment for “receiving bribes” and two years for “helping others flee abroad illegally.” His total sentence was life imprisonment.