Why was the former Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ba Ria City dismissed?

Regarding irregularities in the disbursement of support payments for fishing vessels, causing a loss of 34.6 billion VND to the State budget, the investigative police agency has arrested and recommended the prosecution of Tran Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, for the crime of "Lack of responsibility causing serious consequences".

The suspect is Tran Van Cuong (former Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development).

According to the investigation conclusions of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Police, the defendant Tran Van Cuong, former Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to direct the Fisheries Sub-Department to inspect and supervise ship owners in the construction of new fishing vessels, and to preside over the appraisal and approval of support. However, defendant Cuong delegated authority to the Fisheries Sub-Department, allowing Nguyen Duc Hoang and Dinh Cao Thuong to abuse their positions and powers, intentionally acting against regulations and causing damage to the State budget of more than 34.6 billion VND.

According to the investigation's conclusions, defendant Tran Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, repeatedly signed submissions requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve support for fishing vessels belonging to defendants Tran Van Tai, Nguyen Van Hieu, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Van Hung, and Dang The Hung.

Specifically, on June 19, 2020, defendant Tran Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, signed submission No. 199/TTr-SNN, requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve the adjustment of technical specifications for newly built fishing vessels belonging to defendants Tai, Hieu, and Sang.

On July 8, 2020, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decisions No. 1833, 1834, and 1835/QD-UBND approving the adjustment of technical specifications for newly built fishing vessels, increasing the main engine power and raising the investment cost for the three aforementioned fishing vessels.

Regarding the two steel-hulled fishing vessels, on August 28, 2020, defendant Tran Van Cuong signed submission No. 276/TTr-SNN, requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve the adjustment of the technical specifications of Nguyen Van Hung's fishing vessels. On September 17, 2020, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2821/QD-UBND approving the adjustment of the fishing vessel's technical specifications, increasing the investment cost for shipbuilding for defendant Nguyen Van Hung.

On November 4, 2020, defendant Tran Van Cuong continued to sign submission No. 339/TTr-SNN, requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve the technical adjustments to shipbuilding in decisions No. 1885 and 2821/QD-UBND for the ships of defendants Nguyen The Hung and Nguyen Van Hung.

On December 22, 2020, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 3840/QD-UBND and 3841/QD-UBND approving the adjustment of the technical specifications of the new fishing vessels of defendants Dang The Hung and Nguyen Van Hung.

Regarding the three composite-hulled fishing vessels, on November 4, 2020, defendant Tran Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, signed submission No. 338/TTr-SNN-CCTS requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve support for the fishing vessel of defendant Tran Van Tai.

On December 4, 2020, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Van Tho, signed Decision No. 3620/QD-UBND approving a one-time post-investment support payment under Decree 17 for defendant Tran Van Tai, amounting to over 6.5 billion VND. By December 21, 2020, defendant Tai had received the entire amount of the support payment.

Previously, on November 8, 2020, defendant Tran Van Cuong also signed submission No. 362/TTr-SNN-CCTS requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve support for defendants Hieu and Sang.

On December 22, 2020, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee signed Decision No. 3834/QD-UBND and No. 3835/QD-UBND approving a one-time support payment under Decree 17 for defendant Nguyen Van Hieu, amounting to over 6.5 billion VND, and for Nguyen Van Sang, also amounting to over 6.5 billion VND. On December 30, 2020, Hieu received the full amount of the support payment. On January 18, 2021, Sang received the full amount of the support payment.

On January 4, 2021, Tran Van Cuong continued to sign submission No. 1/TTr-SNN-CCTS requesting the Provincial People's Committee to approve support for two steel-hulled fishing vessels. On January 19, 2021, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee signed Decision No. 125/QĐ-UBND and 126/QĐ-UBND approving a one-time post-investment support payment under Decree 17 for Nguyen Van Hung and Dang The Hung, each receiving over 7.5 billion VND.

Regarding the irregularities in the disbursement of support payments for fishing vessels, which resulted in a loss of 34.6 billion VND to the State budget, the Investigating Police Agency determined that five fishing vessels registered under the names of Tran Van Tai, Nguyen Van Hieu, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Van Hung, and Dang The Hung are both evidence in the case and valuable assets to ensure compensation for damages. Therefore, the Investigating Police Agency issued an order to seize the assets of these five fishing vessels, entrusting them to the families of the defendants and the shipbuilding companies for safekeeping at their respective shipbuilding facilities.

According to the investigating agency, the 13 defendants involved in the case include: Tran Van Cuong (former Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development); Nguyen Duc Hoang (Deputy Head of the Fisheries Sub-Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development); Dinh Cao Thuong (Head of the Fisheries Management and Fisheries Logistics Service Facilities Department); Dao Hong Duc (Director of the Fishing Vessel Registration Center); Nguyen Vu Ha (Head of the Registration Department); Nguyen Quoc Cong (Registrar); Le Minh Xuan (Director of Tan Trung Thinh Investment and Trading Company Limited); Tran Van Tai, Nguyen Van Hieu, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Van Hung, and Dang The Hung (all ship owners).
The investigation concluded that in 2018, the Government issued Decree 17/2018 on a number of policies for fisheries development, including a one-time post-investment support policy. Implementing this policy, the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province facilitated eligible ship owners to build new composite-hulled fishing vessels and benefit from the support policy.
Le Minh Xuan, Director of Tan Trung Thinh Investment and Trading Co., Ltd., was the mastermind, knowing full well that the five fishing vessels registered under the names of Tran Van Tai, Nguyen Van Hieu, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Van Hung, and Dang The Hung were not yet completed and did not meet the requirements for obtaining a fishing vessel technical safety certificate, a fishing vessel registration certificate, a fishing license, and especially were not eligible for the one-time post-investment support policy under Decree 17.
However, the defendant Xuan fabricated documents and records to purchase 19 invoices, inflating the price of the ship hulls, and inflating the volume and price of machinery, materials, and equipment. With the aforementioned actions, the defendant Xuan and five ship owners embezzled 34.6 billion VND from the State budget, of which Xuan embezzled over 12.6 billion VND.

Luong Y

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