Viet Nam News-July 25
The People’s Procuracy of Hanoi has indicted eight former officials and leaders of Xuân Đỉnh Commune and Từ Liêm District for violations regarding compensation, resettlement and land clearance work in the Tây Hồ Tây project.
They include Nguyễn Hữu Khiêm, former chairman of Xuân Đỉnh Commune People’s Committee, Nguyễn Thị Xuân Hương, former commune official in charge of land registration, Nguyễn Thị Gấm, former head of Xuân Đỉnh Cooperative, and Nguyễn Minh Công and Vũ Quý Dương, former officials of Từ Liêm District’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
A former head of Land Clearance Division – Lục Văn Cường and two former officials – Hoàng Minh Đức and Nguyễn Tuấn Anh are also among the group.
Khiêm, Hương and Gấm were charged with abusing position and power and face up to 15 years in prison.
The other five people were charged with “irresponsibility causing serious consequences”, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment.
According to indictment, between June and November 2010, Khiêm, Hương and Gấm improperly signed confirmation papers for 29 households to purchase their agricultural land illegally.
During the period, 11 others with illegal agricultural land declarations were also approved by these people.
Đức, Cường, Tuấn Anh and Dương did not fulfill their responsibility to verify the origin of the land, resulting in the unlawful granting of land compensation funds.
The procuracy determined that the total damage to State funds in the case was nearly VNĐ27 billion (US$1.17 million). Of this, more than VNĐ575 million ($24,800) has been recovered by Hà Nội Land Fund Development Centre while the rest has not yet been retrieved.
