Former Lao Cai Party Secretary Nguyen Van Vinh's sentence reduced by 18 months

According to the appeal judgment of the High People's Court in Hanoi , after considering the defendant's appeal, the panel of judges found that the first instance judgment on May 29 of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Court sentencing Mr. Vinh and the defendants in the case was well-founded and in accordance with the law.

Defendant Nguyen Van Vinh, former Secretary of Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, has many medals and awards.

The verdict stated that from 2012 to 2015, defendant Nguyen Van Vinh and a number of officials with authority and power in Lao Cai province all knew that in the total area of 37,700m2 of land in village 2, Dong Tuyen commune, Lao Cai city, a part of the area overlapped with Khai Truong 18, which had been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade for apatite ore planning and the licensing authority belonged to this ministry. However, the defendants drafted, submitted and signed documents, investment certificates and comments, and directed other related documents without proper authority and without the provisions of the Law on Minerals to grant an investment certificate to Lilama Company to build hotels and restaurants and create conditions for this company to illegally exploit and consume more than 1.5 million tons of apatite ore, worth more than 610 billion VND...

However, considering the official dispatch of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee on the request to consider reducing the sentence for the defendants, creating opportunities for the defendants to correct their mistakes and soon return to their families, continuing to be useful citizens to society...; defendant Nguyen Van Vinh has been awarded many medals, certificates of merit; along with that, Mr. Vinh's mother-in-law is a "Heroic Vietnamese Mother".

At the appeal court, Mr. Vinh and the defendants also confessed honestly, showing remorse; Mr. Vinh and many defendants in the case paid compensation and additional fines to the State budget according to the first instance judgment; considering the role of Mr. Vinh and other defendants in the case..., the appellate panel accepted the appeal of a number of defendants, partially amending the first instance judgment.

Specifically, the High People's Court decided to reduce the sentence for Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh to 4 years in prison for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties", the first instance sentence was 5 years and 6 months in prison.

Defendant Le Ngoc Duong, former Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao Cai province, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, with an additional fine of 20 million VND to be paid to the state budget (the first instance verdict was 2 years and 9 months in prison).

Defendant Phan Van Cuong, former Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended, with a probationary period of 5 years from the date of the appeal judgment. He was assigned to the People's Committee of Bac Cuong Ward, Lao Cai City, to supervise during the probationary period. In the first instance judgment, this defendant was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison.

Defendant Pham Cao Khiem, former Deputy General Director of Apatite Vietnam Company, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison for “violating regulations on research, exploration, and exploitation of natural resources”. Previously, this defendant was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison.

In addition, two other defendants in the case had their prison sentences changed to fines, including: Defendant Nguyen Quang Huy, former General Director of Apatit Vietnam Company Limited, was fined VND 1.8 billion. Previously, this defendant was sentenced to 3 years in prison and an additional fine of VND 50 million for violating regulations on research, exploration and exploitation of natural resources.

Defendant Luong Van Na, Deputy General Director and Member of the Board of Directors of Apatit Vietnam Company, was sentenced to a fine of VND900 million. Previously, this defendant was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison at first instance, but the sentence was suspended.

On the other hand, the High People's Court in Hanoi did not accept the appeal of those with related rights and obligations, including Ms. Do Phuong Thuy, Mr. Nguyen Quang Trieu and Vietnam Yellow Phosphorus Company Limited, and Ms. Vu Thi Lan. The High People's Court in Hanoi upheld the first instance criminal judgment No. 16 dated May 29, 2024 of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Court on judicial measures.

According to the indictment, during the investigation, the defendants Thua and Vinh confessed that on the eve of Lunar New Year 2015, when the defendant Nguyen Van Vinh was the Secretary of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee and after Lilama Company had leveled the project site, illegally exploited and sold Apatite ore in an area of 37,700 square meters, Nguyen Manh Thua brought 5 billion VND to the defendant's house as a Tet gift.

(Source: Tien Phong)

Link: https://tienphong.vn/cuu-bi-thu-tinh-uy-lao-cai-duoc-giam-18-thang-tu-post1688330.tpo

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cuu-bi-thu-lao-cai-nguyen-van-vinh-duoc-giam-18-thang-tu-ar905744.html