Violations at the 3,600-hectare Dai Ninh super project led to the arrest of many officials.

Huge project with many controversies

Previously, C03 arrested Lam Dong Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc Quan, Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Hiep, and Provincial Inspector Nguyen Ngoc Anh. Of these, Mr. Quan was investigated for abusing his position while performing official duties, while the others were charged with bribery.

Regarding the "super" project Dai Ninh Eco-Resort Commercial Urban Area (Dai Ninh Urban Area), the land area for the project is 3,595.45 hectares (of which the water surface area is 1,959.87 hectares). The project is located in Phu Hoi, Ninh Gia, Ta Hine and Ninh Loan communes, Duc Trong district, Lam Dong province.

Total investment capital is 25,243 billion VND. Project operation period is 50 years, from the date of investment certificate issuance. Investment progress from 2010 to 2018.

The investor of the Dai Ninh Urban Area project is Saigon Dai Ninh Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company (Saigon Dai Ninh Company). The Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and legal representative of this enterprise is Ms. Phan Thi Hoa.

Established in 2010, Saigon Dai Ninh Company has a charter capital of 300 billion VND. In 2017, the company increased its charter capital to 2,000 billion VND.

Dai Ninh Urban Area is the only project of Saigon Dai Ninh Company, the enterprise that Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri agreed to sell to Ms. Truong My Lan, Chairman of Van Thinh Phat Group, for a value of 3,000 billion VND.

However, later, tycoon Nguyen Cao Tri (53 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) used Capella Hospitality Company Limited (a subsidiary of Capella Company) to replace Ben Thanh Company to buy back 51% of the charter capital of Saigon - Dai Ninh Company, for VND 1,530 billion. From January 2021, Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri became the legal representative of this company.

Then, in September 2022, Mr. Tri asked his younger brother Nguyen Cao Duc to buy 7% of the charter capital of Ms. Phan Thi Hoa at Saigon Dai Ninh Company for 700 billion VND. In total, Mr. Tri owned 58% of the charter capital of Saigon Dai Ninh Company and paid Ms. Hoa 2,230 billion VND.

After 13 years of being allocated land, the project has not yet been fully invested and has been “frozen” for many years. Up to now, the project progress has only reached nearly 10%.

Extension after revision of inspection conclusion

In early 2022, Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee decided to extend the progress of Dai Ninh Urban Area project by 24 months. At the same time, it requested the investor to focus resources to implement the project.

According to a report in March 2023, Duc Trong District People's Committee is continuing to coordinate with relevant units to support Saigon Dai Ninh Company in completing legal procedures for the project. This move took place after the Provincial People's Committee approved project adjustments and extended the time to put the land into use.

By October 2023, Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee directed relevant departments, branches and units to provide legal documents for the Dai Ninh Urban Area project. The investment and construction plans for the project were not mentioned in the progress report.

From June 2021 to September 2023, at Dai Ninh Urban Area project, there were 4 cases of deforestation with a total area of ​​3,522m2 and 20 cases of illegal encroachment of forest land with an area of ​​37,620m2.

In the past 10 years, 257 hectares of forest have been illegally destroyed and 111 hectares of forest land has been encroached upon in the Dai Ninh Urban Area project. Sai Gon Dai Ninh Company has compensated nearly 19 billion VND.

In 2020, in conclusion No. 929/KL-TTCP, the Government Inspectorate pointed out a series of violations at the Dai Ninh Urban Area project, requesting the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee to terminate operations and revoke the Nam Da Lat urban area project of Saigon Dai Ninh Company.

However, on July 8, 2021, the Government Inspectorate issued a Notice of conclusion amending a number of contents of Inspection Conclusion No. 929/KL-TTCP dated June 12, 2020 on land management, use and construction investment in Lam Dong province signed by Mr. Tran Van Minh, Deputy Inspector General of the Government.

In this revised conclusion, the Government Inspectorate again proposed: “The People's Committee of Lam Dong province, based on its authority, guides the company to carry out procedures to extend progress, adjust the project according to the 2014 Investment Law, extend land use according to the 2013 Land Law, request to complete the project according to the commitment, urgently implement investment according to the approved scale…”.