Dare to face
Journalist Bui Thanh, former Head of the Readers-Documents Department, recalled: “In July 2019, the department received many petitions and recommendations from citizens of Bo Trach district regarding land violations in the localities of Son Trach, Phuc Trach, Hoan Trach, Phu Trach, Nhan Trach, etc. Realizing that this was a hot issue, of great concern to public opinion, I reported and asked for instructions from the Editor-in-Chief, and at the same time established an investigation team consisting of “hard” reporters in the Readers-Documents Department to penetrate the field, verify, and collect documents.”
The work: "Land management, mistakes from the grassroots" by a group of reporters from the Readers' and Documents Department won the B prize, the first Quang Binh Provincial Party Building Journalism Award in 2019. |
“During the verification process, we found that the reader’s petition is well-founded. Land violations occur due to lax management, weakness, and lack of responsibility in leadership, direction, and administration of Party committees and authorities at all levels. More seriously, even key officials, heads of sectors, and those in charge of the land sector have abused their assigned duties and responsibilities, intentionally violating the law for personal gain.”
“When there were sufficient records and documents to prove it, the Readers-Documents Department started publishing a series of articles: “Land management, mistakes from the grassroots”, “Commune and ward land officials - there are “little gods” at the grassroots”... which received great support from public opinion. Also from the issues mentioned by the press, the Party committees and authorities of Bo Trach district stepped in, determined to clarify and strictly handle the groups and individuals who let the violations happen”, journalist Bui Thanh shared.
Persistence and determination
In a series of land violations in Bo Trach district, Nguyen Ngoc Son, a civil servant of the Land and Construction Department of Hoan Trach commune (now Hoan Lao town) was prosecuted for the crime of "Abusing position and power to appropriate property" and brought to trial by the People's Courts at all levels. Following the first instance trial, reporter Duong Cong Hop, Readers and Documents Department, with professional sensitivity, raised hidden questions behind the case related to Mr. Hoang Van Duc, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoan Trach commune.
Why did Son's behavior of collecting money from people in large amounts, lasting for 10 years (2006-2016) easily slip through the "eyes" of the entire political -social system and its leader? Was Son's violation directed, covered up or assisted by someone else?
With his violations, Mr. Hoang Van Duc (right), former Chairman of Hoan Trach Commune People's Committee, "cannot escape the sun". |
From here, under the direction of the Quang Binh Newspaper Editorial Board, the Readers-Documentation Department quietly embarked on a new mission, persistently collecting evidence and documents, coordinating with relevant agencies to determine whether Mr. Hoang Van Duc was guilty or not? A long-term "stalking" process from 2016 to 2024 has just yielded results. After many trials, the High People's Court in Da Nang sentenced Nguyen Ngoc Son to 18 years in prison (Nguyen Ngoc Son was detained from April 21, 2016 to January 26, 2024, then the preventive measure was changed to bail).
In July 2024, the People's Court of Quang Binh province held a trial for two defendants Hoang Van Duc and Nguyen Ngoc Son for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties". The panel of judges affirmed that in the case, Hoang Van Duc was the mastermind and leader; Nguyen Ngoc Son was only the one who carried out the instructions from Hoang Van Duc. With undeniable evidence, the People's Court of the province sentenced Hoang Van Duc to 11 years in prison. Reduced Nguyen Ngoc Son's prison sentence to 7 years, 9 months and 5 days, equivalent to the time Nguyen Ngoc Son served the sentence, and released Son right in court.
“For eight years, reporters from the Readers and Documentation Department have persistently and resolutely sought and provided evidence of the criminal acts of former Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoan Trach Commune, Hoang Van Duc, to the relevant authorities. Finally, justice has been served, and the guilty must be held accountable before the law,” said reporter Duong Cong Hop.
For the legitimate rights of the people
In July 2024, Quang Binh Newspaper received a petition for help from Mr. Phan Van Cac (born in 1937), residing in Dong Son village, Son Loc commune (Bo Trach) regarding a land dispute between him and his children and grandchildren. During the verification process, the reporter of the Readers' and Documents Department realized that behind the petition was a hidden corner of the identity of a man who devoted himself to his children and grandchildren, just because the land that Mr. Cac and his wife reclaimed since 1976 was found by his son, daughter-in-law and eldest grandson in every way to "change the name, change the owner" and take it all... until "near death" still could not get it back.
“The stories we mentioned above are just a small part of hundreds of topics related to the reader petition section. During the investigation and verification process, reporters of the Readers-Documentation Department faced a lot of pressure, even threats to their health and lives. But then, we still encouraged each other to try to overcome. Dare to persevere, dare to face, for the people, for the right reason... to always complete well the tasks assigned by the Editorial Board”, journalist Bui Thanh shared more. |
According to the records and documents collected by reporters, Mr. Phan Van Cac asked his son Phan Van Hop to make a "red book" for the reclaimed land in 2006, and Hop then put his name on it. After discovering that the "red book" had been "swapped" into the name of his son and his wife, Mr. Phan Van Cac asked his son to do the correction procedure. Mr. Phan Van Hop promised his father that he would make the adjustment... but he kept delaying and did not do so. On the contrary, by "secret steps" to bypass his parents, Mr. Phan Van Hop continued to arbitrarily make transfer contracts for his children and grandchildren.
In the application for the "red book" from his father to him, Mr. Phan Van Hop stated that the land was reclaimed by him when he was... 10 years old. Strangely enough, the members of the Land Registration Council of Son Loc commune in 2006, including Mr. Ho Quy Thao, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee; Phan Trong Que, cadastral officer; Phan Van Thang, judicial officer; Vo Van Thuyen, Chairman of the Commune Fatherland Front Committee, still wrote that the land was "qualified".
As the person who directly handled Mr. Phan Van Cac’s petition, reporter Ngo Thanh Long later wrote an article titled “The pain from a petition for help”, clearly analyzing the “absurdity” and the irresponsibility and complicity of the management officials of Son Loc commune that caused Mr. Phan Van Cac to “lose his land and house” when he was “near death, far from heaven”. “Mr. Phan Van Cac’s land claim was accepted by the People’s Courts at all levels. Hopefully, justice will be restored to Mr. Phan Van Cac”, reporter Ngo Thanh Long confided.
Ho An
Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/xa-hoi/202506/dan-than-vi-nghe-2227151/
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