HCMC – Investigators at the Ministry of Public Security have proposed indicting Le Tan Hung, former general director of Saigon Agriculture Incorporated (Sagri), and 15 others, including former HCMC vice chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen, for allegedly causing losses of over VND672 billion for the State.
The Investigative Police Agency on March 6 issued the findings of an investigation into violations at Sagri, the local media reported.
Hung and Nguyen Thi Thuy, chief accountant of Sagri, were accused of appropriating assets and violating regulations on the use and management of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness.
In addition, Tuyen; former Sagri Chairman Van Trong Dung; Tran Trong Tuan, former deputy head of the HCMC Party Committee’s office; and five others were charged with violating regulations on the use and management of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness.
According to the findings of the investigation, Hung abused his position to direct Thuy and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, an employee of Sagri’s human resources division, to work with two tour operators, VYC Travel Company and PIT Company, to draw up 10 contracts worth VND13 billion to organize overseas study trips in 16 countries for Sagri employees. However, 40 of 70 employees were found to have not participated in these trips.
Moreover, Hung asked his subordinates to complete procedures and proposed the municipal government approve the transfer of a residential project in Phuoc Long B Ward of District 9 (currently Thu Duc City) to Phong Phu Corporation at VND168 billion, while the project was 80% complete and was not appraised at the time, leading to losses of VND348 billion for the State at the transfer time and VND672 billion at the time the case was prosecuted.
According to investigators, Hung was the mastermind of the case. He not only directed others to commit violations but also directly committed violations.
Meanwhile, Tuyen has evaded his responsibility. When being detected to commit violations, he passed the buck to specialized agencies, his subordinates and enterprises.
He signed a decision approving the transfer of the residential project, while the decision had no important items, such as the total investment, capital resources and the progress of the project, and extended the project’s progress to the second quarter of 2019 not in line with regulations, paving the way for Hung and accomplices to illegally transfer the project.
He assigned the municipal Departments of Natural Resources-Environment, Finance, Tax and Corporate Finance to instruct Sagri and Phong Phu to fulfill tax obligations, complete procedures on land in line with the law and comply with regulations on business and the management and use of the State capital. This is a ruse to avoid responsibility.
