Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Court of Hanoi onApril 22 resumed a trial for ex-minister of industry and trade Vu HuyHoang who involves in the cases of “violating regulations on themanagement and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness,” and “violatingregulations on land management” that occurred in the Ministry of Industry andTrade (MoIT) and Ho Chi Minh City.

Being brought to the court were also former director of the MoIT’sLight Industry Department Phan Chi Dung;former Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Tin; former deputy director of the HCM City Departmentof Planning and Investment Lam NguyenKhoi; former director of the HCM City Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment Dao Anh Kiet; and formerdeputy chief of the secretariat of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Van Thanh.

Former head of the HCM City Department of Planning andInvestment’s Infrastructure Development Division Le Quang Minh; former head of the Urban Division at the HCM CityPeople's Committee Office Nguyen ThanhChuong; former head of the Land Management Division of the HCM CityDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment Truong Van Ut, and formerofficial at the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment’s LandManagement Division Nguyen Lan Chau.

Hoang, born in 1953, and Phan Chi Dung,born in 1957, were charged of “violating regulations on the management and useof State assets, causing losses and wastefulness” under Clause 3, Article 219of the 2015 Penal Code.

The eight other defendants were accused of “violatingregulations on land management” under Item b, Clause 3, Article 229 of the 2015Penal Code.

Due to poor health, Hoang asked for seat and medical supportthroughout the court.

Under the indictment by the Supreme People’s Procuracy, theSaigon Beer - Alcohol - Beverage JSC (Sabeco), which is under the MoIT’smanagement, was given more than 6,000 sq.m at 2-4-6 Hai Ba Trung Street, BenNghe ward, District 1 of HCM City for production and business purposes.

However, Hoang and Dung directed subordinates at theministry and Sabeco to carry out procedures for using land use rights andSabeco's money as capital contributions to set up Sabeco Pearl, a joint venturebetween the firm and a number of private enterprises, to implement a projectbuilding a hotel, a trade and convention centre, and office space for lease onthe land.

After Sabeco completed legal procedures for the jointventure’s investment and proposed the HCM City People’s Committee approve theaddition of officetel and housing functions to this project, the MoIT orderedthe company to transfer all of Sabeco’s stake in this project to the privateenterprises in the joint venture.

This was illegal and resulted in a loss of over 2.7 trillionVND (112.5 million USD) to the State, according to the indictment.

The indictment defined that the majority of the defendantsholds high positions in the MoIT and HCM City People’s Committee, with highprofessional qualification and deep understanding of their areas. However, withdifferent motivation, they committed serious law violations in a long period,deliberately triggering regulations on State property management as well asland management, causing great losses to the State.

The first-instance trial was first held on January 7.However, it was delayed due to the absence of three defendants and many otherpeople whose rights and obligations are associated with the case. The trial washeld again on January 18 but suspended again for the same reason.

The trial is scheduled to take place in one week./.