Hanoi (VNA) – Twenty defendants in a case of violation ofland management regulations that involved several former senior officials ofthe central city of Da Nang have filed their appeals asking for reducedpunishment, the Hanoi People’s Court said on February 4. 

Among them, former Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Van Huu Chien asked the appeal court to consider thesituation in Da Nang 15 years ago when the violations took place, claiming hewas only implementing a policy adopted by the standing board of the municipal PartyCommittee and the municipal People’s Council.

Chien was sentenced to 12 years in prison for violatingregulations on managing and using State assets, causing losses andwastefulness, and violating land management regulations at the first-instance trial that took place in Hanoi from January 2-13,2020.

Another former Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Tran Van Minh also insisted he followed the city’spolicies. Minh was given 12 years in prison on the same charges asthose for Chien.

Phan Van Anh Vu, former Chairman of the 79Construction JSC and Bac Nam 79 JSC, who received 30 years in prison, also appealed thesentence.

According to theindictment at the first-instance trial, Minh and Chien held key leading positions of Da Nang city and were incharge of State property management and use and land management.

The two defendantsviolated laws and ordered their staff to complete procedures of sellingState-owned buildings and illegally transferring land lots to Vu. These actionswere repeated for many times in a long period, the indictment said.

With the help of the two former chairmen andother leading officials who signed and followed the orders, Vu was able toacquire various State-owned buildings and land lots located in prime locationsat a much lower price or without auction from 2006 to 2014.

Their actions caused losses of more than 22trillion VND (947.5 million USD) to the State.

Between 2002 and 2017, Vu used his own nameand those of his relatives to establish, contribute capital to and directlymanage five real estate companies, aiming to purchase many property projects aswell as public houses and land lots in Da Nang without auctions, at priceslower than those set by the municipal People’s Committee, personally pocketinga specially huge amount of money.

The Hanoi People’sCourt handed jail sentences to 21 defendants in the case, who were found guilty of “violatingregulations on managing and using State assets, causing losses andwastefulness” and “violating land management regulations”.

The only defendant who does not appeal is Nguyen Van Can, former Chiefof the Office of the Da Nang municipal People’s Committee./.