On 26/6, Nguyen Huu Tan, 44, an official from the Phuoc Dinh commune Investment and Construction Project Management Board; Han Tan Vinh An, 49, an official from the Phuoc Ha commune People's Committee Economic Office; Tran Huynh Kien Truc, 51, an official from the Nam Khanh Hoa Land Fund Development Branch; and Do Ngoc Quang, 69, Director of VT Anh Quan Trading and Services Co., Ltd., were arrested by Khanh Hoa provincial police. They face charges of violating regulations on compensation, support, and resettlement during state land acquisition, under Article 230 of the Penal Code.
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Police search the suspects' workplaces. Photo: Khanh Hoa Police |
Initial investigations revealed that many individuals exploited policies for personal gain related to the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power project in Phuoc Dinh commune.
Tactics included encroaching on state-managed land to legalize records, accumulating land within the project area, or using proxies to receive illegal compensation. Furthermore, some officials with positions and authority allegedly showed signs of irresponsibility or abused their duties to approve and appraise incorrect documents.
Investigators reported that the timely detection and handling of these violations prevented potential state budget losses estimated at thousands of billions of dong.
Police are continuing to expand the investigation to clarify the responsibilities of all related individuals and organizations, ensuring the national key project is implemented transparently and according to regulations.
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The resettlement area for the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power project, Phuoc Dinh commune. Photo: Bui Toan |
The Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 nuclear power projects were approved by the National Assembly in 2009 but were temporarily paused at the end of 2016 after several delays. In 11/2024, the National Assembly decided to restart the projects to meet future electricity demand.
The Ninh Thuan 1 project is planned for Vinh Truong hamlet, Phuoc Dinh commune, covering 544 hectares. The Ninh Thuan 2 project is in Thai An hamlet, Vinh Hai commune, covering 454 hectares. Electricity of Vietnam and the National Energy Industry Group are the respective investors for these two plants.
Bui Toan
