On 13/1, the Dong Nai Provincial People's Court sentenced Le Van Tiep, former chairman of Long Thanh district, to seven years in prison. He was found guilty of violating regulations on compensation, support, and resettlement during state land acquisition.

Nguyen Tat Dat, former vice chairman of Long Thanh town People's Committee, and Truong Hoang Tan, former chairman of Long Thanh town Farmers' Association, each received six-year sentences for the same offense. Additionally, 21 other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year to four years and six months.

Among the defendants, Vu Duc Cong, a former cadastral officer of Binh Son commune, and Nguyen Thanh Van, a member of the compensation council, received an additional three years in prison for bribery. Nguyen Hai Lang was sentenced to one year in prison for giving bribes.

The court also recommended that the Dong Nai Provincial Police continue investigations into Nguyen Xuan Bac, a specialist, and Tran Ngoc Hai, former head of the Long Thanh District Urban Management Department. They are implicated for signing appraisal documents and certifying support for houses and structures on land in violation of legal regulations, thereby causing losses to the state budget.

Trial of 22 former officials of Long Thanh district People's Committee. *Photo: Thai Ha*

According to the indictment, during the land acquisition, compensation, and resettlement process for the Long Thanh airport construction project, many households in Binh Son commune lacked proper land management records. Officials also failed to consult residents living there at the time to establish compensation eligibility. Despite these deficiencies, commune officials incorrectly certified that these households had houses and structures on the land.

Based on 13 falsified records from the commune, the compensation council and the Long Thanh District People's Committee issued compensation decisions. These actions caused a loss of 23,7 billion VND to the state budget. The defendants were also accused of causing over 15 billion VND in damages through incorrect payments for job support and employment assistance to three households.

As chairman of the project's compensation council, Le Van Tiep had identified several unusual records and ordered an inspection. However, after the records were submitted to the compensation council, he still approved them based on certifications from functional units, leading to state budget losses.

Regarding the bribery charges, investigators determined that Tran Van Tuat, a resident of Binh Son commune, had authorized Nguyen Hai Lang to manage and resolve compensation for his acquired land. In mid-6/2020, cadastral officer Vu Duc Cong informed Lang that the house and structures on the land were built after 2015 and thus were not eligible for compensation.

Lang then contacted Van, head of Suoi Trau 3 hamlet, asking him to certify an earlier construction date to benefit from the compensation. To legitimize the falsified records, Lang gave Cong and Van 50 million VND each. The Long Thanh District Compensation Council, relying on these certifications, approved an incorrect compensation plan, resulting in nearly 2,4 billion VND in damages.

Phuoc Tuan