This morning, the trial of former Minister Mai Tien Dung

On the morning of January 16, the Hanoi People's Court will open a first-instance criminal trial to try the case of "Giving bribes", "Receiving bribes" and "Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties" that occurred in Lam Dong province and some related localities. In which, former Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung and former Secretary of the Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee Tran Duc Quan will be tried for the crime of "Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties".

Former Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Hiep; former Deputy Director of the Department of Inspection for Complaints and Denunciations, Region 2 (Department II) - Government Inspectorate Le Quoc Khanh; former Chief Inspector of Lam Dong Province Nguyen Ngoc Anh were tried for the crime of "Receiving bribes".

Former Director of the Department of Monitoring Inspection, Handling of Complaints and Denunciations, Prevention of Corruption, Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (Department I) - Government Office Tran Bich Ngoc; former Director of Department II, Government Inspector Nguyen Hong Giang were tried for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties".

Defendant Nguyen Cao Tri (General Director of Saigon Dai Ninh Company) was tried for the crime of "Giving bribes".

According to the decision to bring the defendants to trial, the Trial Panel consists of 5 members with Judge Tran Nam Ha as the Chairman of the trial. The Hanoi People's Court also arranged alternate Judges and People's Assessors. The prosecutors and 6 prosecutors will exercise the right to prosecute and supervise the trial activities at the trial.

The indictment of the Supreme People's Procuracy determined that in 2010, Saigon Dai Ninh Company (SGDN) was allowed to implement the Dai Ninh Urban Area, Trade, Tourism and Ecological Resort Project (abbreviated as Dai Ninh Project) in Lam Dong province.

During the inspection of land management, use and construction investment in Lam Dong province in the period of 2013 - 2018, the Government Inspectorate determined that SGDN Company had many violations during the implementation of the Dai Ninh Project.

Accordingly, the company did not comply with its financial obligations, did not pay land use fees and compensation for damage to forest resources and environment; allowed people to re-encroach; and the progress was not as committed. Therefore, the Government Inspectorate recommended that the Prime Minister assign the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee to terminate the operation and reclaim land of the Dai Ninh Project.

Knowing this, defendant Nguyen Cao Tri agreed to buy back the Dai Ninh Project. After that, defendant Tri took advantage of his relationships, used money and material benefits to connect and collude with a number of individuals in the Government Office, the Government Inspectorate, Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee and Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee to illegally change and adjust State decisions.

This caused some individuals at the Government Inspectorate to commit illegal acts when issuing a new report, canceling the recommendation to revoke the Dai Ninh Project. Some officials in Lam Dong province agreed to change the business registration, transfer the project to defendant Tri, and then agreed not to revoke the project.

The above acts caused the project to be withdrawn and delayed and continued to be implemented, and the beneficiary was defendant Tri. The reason was because defendant Tri sold the Dai Ninh Project to Thien Vuong Real Estate Investment and Development Company Limited, a member of Novaland Group, earning a profit of 2,700 billion VND.

In addition, the State has not recovered 3,595 hectares of land and reservoir of the Dai Ninh Project, causing waste of land resources. Since the Dai Ninh Project was approved for extension, SGDN Company has not implemented the project, has not built any new items, and has continued to allow 24 violations such as deforestation, illegal encroachment, etc. to occur.

The indictment determined that the defendant Tri's actions caused public outrage, affected the prestige of the Party and State, and corrupted a number of leaders, cadres, and party members to the point of being prosecuted and temporarily detained.

During the process of intervening with a number of State officials, defendant Tri repeatedly gave bribes, such as giving Mr. Tran Van Minh (former Deputy Inspector General of the Government) twice a total of 10 billion VND. Giving money to a number of individuals in the Government Inspectorate and the Chief Inspector of Lam Dong province, including giving 900 million VND to Le Quoc Khanh; giving 150 million VND to Hoang Van Xuan...

In addition, defendant Tri also gave bribes to former Lam Dong Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc Quan 5 times, totaling 2.1 billion VND; and to former Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Chairman Tran Van Hiep 7 times, totaling 4.2 billion VND.

In the case, defendants Tran Van Hiep and Tran Duc Quan were determined to have received bribes, then helped defendant Nguyen Cao Tri carry out steps to implement and extend the Dai Ninh Project in violation of the law.

Regarding defendant Mai Tien Dung, the prosecution agency determined that, in his role as Minister and Head of the Government Office, although he was not assigned to be in charge of the inspection and handling of petitions, he implemented the instructions of his superiors and because of his acquaintance with defendant Tri, he received the petition of SGDN Company from Tri.

After that, defendant Mai Tien Dung wrote a note to defendant Tran Bich Ngoc, then Director of Department I, to consult, ask for opinions and convey the opinions of the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Government on transferring the petition and assigning the Government Inspectorate to inspect, review and resolve the reflection and recommendations of SGDN Company in violation of the law. Defendant Mai Tien Dung received a thank-you amount of VND 200 million from defendant Nguyen Cao Tri.