On 23/9, the Hoa Khanh Ward Party Committee and People's Committee convened a meeting to address the situation after the Da Nang City Police Investigation Agency arrested eight officials and workers from the Urban Order Team, part of the Hoa Khanh Ward Public Service Center.

Authorities initiated procedures to expel seven Party members from this group; the remaining individual is not a Party member. The names, ages, and positions of these individuals have not yet been disclosed.

The Hoa Khanh Ward People's Committee also temporarily suspended all eight individuals from duty to facilitate the ongoing investigation. Local authorities simultaneously established an inspection team to investigate signs of violations, with the aim of considering disciplinary action against relevant Party organizations and members, and clarifying the responsibilities of both collective and individual leaders in charge.

17 individuals involved in the case have been prosecuted and detained. *Photo: Thanh Huynh*

Earlier, on 19/9, the Economic Police Department of Da Nang City Police prosecuted and temporarily detained 17 individuals connected to violations in public services. These included expediting procedures for electricity and water supply, and accepting protection money for illegal construction.

The group of eight officials from the Hoa Khanh Ward Urban Order Team is accused of abusing their positions, repeatedly accepting billions of dong in bribes to overlook violations for numerous illegal construction and repair projects within the ward.

In the same case, four leaders and staff members from Lien Chieu Power Company and Da Nang Area 4 Water Supply Enterprise were prosecuted for accepting bribes to illegally prioritize electricity and water supply for hundreds of ineligible cases. Investigators also prosecuted five other individuals for falsifying ward-certified documents, as well as for giving and brokering bribes.

According to authorities, these prolonged acts of corruption disrupted urban planning discipline and order, causing significant public outrage.

Nguyen Dong