HCMC – Police have detained Nguyen Linh Ngoc, former deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment, on alleged charges of misconduct in a case of illegal rare earth mining and trading at Thai Duong Group Joint Stock Company and related entities.
On the afternoon of July 22, the Ministry of Public Security announced that the arrest came as part of an expanded investigation into violations which occurred at Thai Duong Group Joint Stock Company and related entities.
On the same day, the Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) under the Ministry of Public Security issued a decision filing criminal proceedings against and detaining five individuals for violating regulations on the management and use of state assets causing losses and wastefulness.
They are Nguyen Linh Ngoc, former deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment; Nguyen Van Thuan, former director general of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam; Hoang Van Khoa, former head of the Mineral Department at the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam; Ho Duc Hop, director of the Yen Bai Province Department of Natural Resources and Environment; and Le Cong Tien, deputy director of the Yen Bai Province Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
C03 also initiated criminal proceedings and prohibited Bui Doan Nhu, former head of the Mineral Department under the Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and Le Duy Phuong, former senior specialist of the Mineral Department at the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, from leaving their residences for the same charges.
The investigation results indicated that Doan Van Huan, board chairman and general director of Thai Duong Group Joint Stock Company, and Nguyen Van Chinh, deputy general director, directed their staff to conduct illegal exploitation and consumption of rare earths, pocketing VND632 billion.
Huan and Chinh also collaborated with other companies to issue VAT invoices that manifested the reduced quantity and selling price of rare earths transacted. This allowed Thai Duong to keep off the book over VND28 billion, causing a loss of over VND7.5 billion for the State budget.
In October 2023, Huan and Chinh were detained by police at the Ministry of Public Security for an investigation into violations of regulations on research, exploration, and exploitation of resources, as well as violations of accounting regulations causing serious consequences.
