Former Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Dinh Xung was prosecuted.

On October 21, the Investigation Police Agency of Thanh Hoa Province Police prosecuted and banned Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xung, former Chairman of Thanh Hoa Province People's Committee, from leaving his place of residence for the crime ofViolating regulations on management and use of State assets causing waste and loss,according to Article 219, Penal Code.

Mr. Cu Dinh Hien, former deputy head of the Office of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province, and Bui Van Nam, former deputy head of the Economic and Financial Department of the Office of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province, were prosecuted for the same crime.

More than a month ago, on September 8, Mr. Xung was stripped of his position as Chairman of Thanh Hoa province for the 2015-2020 period and Vice Chairman of the province for the 2012-2014 period by the Prime Minister.

The investigation agency alleged that Mr. Xung, Hien, and Nam's violations occurred during the process of approving the payment to the state budget for land use fees at the Hac Thanh Tower project of Song Ma Joint Stock Company.

Specifically, in 2013, Mr. Xung, as Vice Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, signed a decision to assign Song Ma Company more than 2,900 m2 of land at No. 3 Phan Chu Trinh Street, Dien Bien Ward, Thanh Hoa City to construct the 15-storey mixed-use building Hac Thanh Tower (Hac Thanh Tower project).

On December 23, 2013, Mr. Xung signed a decision approving land use fees to be paid to the state budget at the project with a unit price of 21 million VND per square meter (2009 price). This was determined to have caused a loss to the state budget of more than 55.8 billion VND.

In connection with the case, in 2022, authorities arrested Ms. Dinh Cam Van, former director of the Thanh Hoa Department of Finance; Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Nhu Xuan District, former deputy director of the Department of Finance and Van Xuan Hung, former head of the Department of Public Asset Management - Prices, Thanh Hoa Department of Finance on charges ofAbuse of position and power while performing official duties.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Huong, Secretary of the Nhu Thanh District Party Committee, and Mr. Nguyen Manh Son, former Chairman of the Board of Members of Song Ma One Member Co., Ltd., were also arrested and prosecuted on the same charges.