Mr. Doan Thanh Binh (left) affirmed that the signatures of the people in the 2019 Khe Muong village community consultation minutes are completely valid - Photo: MT
People "accuse" of fake signatures
According to the law, to be granted a mineral exploitation license, enterprises need the consent of the affected community. Therefore, on May 22, 2019, a community consultation meeting took place in Khe Muong village, Hai Son commune, Hai Lang district (now Khe Muong village, Tay Son village, Nam Hai Lang commune). The consultation dossier was then fully confirmed by the local authorities and submitted with the license application.
However, in 2024, when the mine was about to start operations, some local residents claimed that they did not sign the minutes. Mr. Vo Thu, a resident of Tay Son village (formerly Khe Muong village), said that he was illiterate and could not sign the minutes. Mr. Vo Van Khoa claimed that at that time, he was in the South and could not sign the minutes. Mr. Nguyen Van Sau completely denied that the signature in the minutes was his.
Arguing that the consultation minutes had fake signatures, the protesting residents claimed that the company's legal documents were invalid, and thus requested that mining activities be stopped.
The company affirms to comply with regulations
In response to the people's reaction, Mr. Nguyen Van Trong, Director of Nguyen Hoang Company, said that the company could not verify the authenticity of each signature of the people. Mr. Trong explained that on May 22, 2019, at the community consultation meeting, Mr. Doan Thanh Binh, then Head of the Front Work Committee of Khe Muong village, took responsibility for directly taking the meeting minutes and the list to collect signatures of the people, then handing them over to the company. The company supported the locality through Mr. Binh with 50 million VND to build a community cultural house in the village.
"We only accept consultation minutes when they have full signatures and confirmation from the Village Chief and Commune People's Committee Chairman. Everything is done in accordance with the State's procedures and regulations," Mr. Trong affirmed.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (left) initially denied signing on behalf of her father-in-law but later said, "I don't remember clearly whether I signed or not" - Photo: MT
When the reporter met him, Mr. Doan Thanh Binh confirmed that all the information Mr. Trong provided was correct. Mr. Binh affirmed: “I went from house to house to collect signatures. In the case of Mr. Vo Thu, who was illiterate, he asked me to sign for him. As for Mr. Vo Van Khoa, his daughter-in-law, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, signed on his behalf. As for Mr. Nguyen Van Sau, he signed himself.”
However, when we met Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien to verify Mr. Doan Thanh Binh's words, Ms. Hien initially denied the information that she signed on behalf of her father-in-law. But when the reporter asked to re-sign for comparison, the signature showed a high degree of similarity with the signature in the 2019 Khe Muong village community consultation minutes. At this time, Ms. Hien said, "I don't remember clearly whether I signed it or not."
Mr. Mai Van Quoc, former Head of Khe Muong village, confirmed: “After the meeting, Mr. Binh and I went to each house to ask for signatures. I signed the confirmation based on my trust in Mr. Binh. Because we have no personal motive or benefit if we forge people's signatures.”
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Huan, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Son Commune (old) also said: "In many cases, people are illiterate so they ask others to sign on their behalf. I certify based on the content confirmed by the village cadres."
Need to remove soon to protect investment environment
The story at the OL6 mine is not an isolated case. In fact, many businesses in other localities are in a similar situation: complete documents, licensed, but facing barriers arising from complaints from local people, sometimes due to lack of transparency, sometimes due to conflicts of interest that have not been satisfactorily resolved.
Mr. Nguyen Van Trong, Director of Nguyen Hoang Company, said: To be licensed for OL6 mine, the company spent more than 7 years completing procedures at a high cost. Now, although the State has granted the license for nearly a year, it has not been able to start operations, causing great economic losses for the company. The company hopes that the authorities will soon intervene so that the company can operate, contributing to the socio -economic development of the locality.
When a project has been licensed by the State but still cannot be implemented, it is not only a loss for the investor but also greatly affects the investment and development environment of the locality.
On the part of Nguyen Hoang Company, it is necessary to organize a public dialogue between the government, the people and the business soon. If the authentic evidence shows that the signing on behalf of the people is agreed upon or understood and accepted at that time, then it is necessary to create conditions for the project implementation, avoiding the matter from being prolonged and negatively affecting the business's operations.
Minh Tuan
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/ve-viec-nguoi-dan-can-tro-cong-ty-tnhh-qt-nguyen-hoang-khai-thac-mo-cat-san-can-doi-thoai-de-thao-go-vuong-mac-196334.htm
Comment (0)