On August 9, the People’s Court of Hanoi held a first-instance trial for Nguyen Thi Loan, former chairman of Vimedimex Pharmaceutical Corporation, and 12 accomplices in a case of violations in land auction in Dong Anh district, Hanoi.
Nguyen Thi Loan and the co-defendants in court
In this case, the Hanoi People’s Procuracy prosecuted nine defendants, including: Nguyen Thi Loan, Nguyen Quang Hung (CEO of Thanh Tri Real Estate Investment JSC and Vice CEO of Vimedimex Pharmaceutical Corporation), Ta Thi Van (CEO of Bac Tu Liem Real Estate Investment JSC), Nguyen Xuan Duc (Vice CEO of My Dinh Real Estate Investment JSC and CEO of Vimedimex Pharmaceutical Corporation 2), Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh (CEO of Hanoi Consulting and Appraisal JSC, referred to as VVAI), Nguyen Ngoc Thang (Vice CEO of VVAI), Nguyen Duc Phuong (Appraiser of VVAI), Tran Cong Tuyen (Head of the Infrastructure Management and Site Clearance Department, Dong Anh District Project Management Board, Hanoi), and Vuong Thi Thu Thuy (Dong Anh District Project Management Board official) on charges of “Violation of regulations on the sale of auction assets.”
The remaining two defendants were: Bui Thanh Huyen, former deputy head of the Land Management Department, Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment (TN-MT), and Nguyen Thi Cam Le, an official of Hanoi TN-MT, who were prosecuted for “Negligence causing serious consequences.”
Previously, on April 22, at the first-instance trial, defendant Nguyen Thi Loan pleaded not guilty, stating that the indictment contained “many inaccuracies.” The defendant claimed that although she was not forced to confess during the investigation, the case file contained “many records of her statements with signs of forgery.” In addition, the defendant stated that she had not worked with any investigator named Bui Duc Hieu, but the records bore his name.
Subsequently, the Hanoi Court decided to return the case for supplementary investigation to clarify certain issues. Accordingly, the Court requested the prosecution to verify Nguyen Thi Loan’s signature and investigate matters related to investigator Bui Duc Hieu; re-examine the actions and charges against defendant Tran Cong Tuyen; re-evaluate the offenses of Bui Thanh Huyen and Nguyen Thi Cam Le; and reconsider the criminal handling of several state officials related to the land auction activities.
In mid-June, the Hanoi Police concluded their supplementary investigation. During this process, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan continued to assert her non-involvement in the land auction in the southeast of Co Duong village and denied any wrongdoing. However, based on the evidence in the case file, the investigation agency maintained their accusation against her.
The conclusion also confirmed that the records of statements and interrogations conducted by investigator Bui Duc Hieu were not tampered with. Regarding defendant Tran Cong Tuyen, the agency maintained their position on prosecuting him for “Violation of regulations on the sale of auction assets.”
Similarly, for defendants Bui Thanh Huyen and Nguyen Thi Cam Le, the agency retained their stance on prosecuting them for “Negligence causing serious consequences.” As for the state officials related to the land auction activities, the investigation agency also maintained their previous handling decision.
According to the indictment, during the land valuation process to determine the starting price for the auction of the land in the southeast of Co Duong village (Tien Duong commune, Dong Anh district), the defendants Nguyen Dieu Linh, Nguyen Ngoc Thang, and Nguyen Duc Phuong, as appraisers, had the function and task of appraising the land in accordance with the law.
However, in valuing the aforementioned land, these defendants did not conduct an objective valuation and instead colluded with Tran Cong Tuyen and Vuong Thi Thu Thuy to deliberately undervalue the land, resulting in the issuance of a land valuation certificate that did not reflect its actual value (approximately 285 billion VND, equivalent to 17.6 million VND/square meter). This led to an incorrect starting price for the auction, allowing Nguyen Thi Loan’s participating companies to collude and suppress the auction price, winning the bid at a low price and causing a loss of over 135 billion VND to the state.
