## Former Director of Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Two Others Indicted for Negligence
In a case related to the illegal sale of rare earth ore in Yen Bai, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security has proposed the prosecution of Mr. Ho Duc Hop, former director, along with former deputy directors of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Le Cong Tien, and former deputy chief of the Bureau of Environmental Protection, Bui Doan Nhu, for “Violation of regulations on the management and use of state assets, causing loss and waste.”
 Mr. Ho Duc Hop, former director of the Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
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According to the investigation conclusions, after Thai Duong Company was granted a Mineral Exploitation License in June 2013, the company, with Doan Van Huan as its chairman, violated several legal regulations and requirements stated in the license.
Specifically, the company failed to establish an approved mine design by the competent authority, did not comply with regulations regarding the registration and notification of the start of mine construction and exploitation, and consumed rare earth ore with a TREO content of 18-20%, contrary to the regulation that only allowed the consumption of “Separate rare earth oxides with 99.9% purity.” Additionally, they “did not install a weighing station and surveillance cameras to monitor the amount of raw ore mined” and “did not comply with land-related legal regulations.”
Despite being aware of these violations, the Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment failed to conduct inspections or take any corrective measures. In 2021, when Thai Duong Company applied for a renewal of their Mineral Exploitation License, Mr. Ho Duc Hop and his two subordinates reported untruthfully to the People’s Committee of Yen Bai Province about the company’s compliance with the law.
Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment turned a blind eye to the rare earth mining activities. |
Based on the report from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the People’s Committee of Yen Bai Province sent a document notifying issues related to mineral activities at the Yen Phu rare earth mine and requesting the General Department of Geology and Minerals to report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to consider the renewal of the Mineral Exploitation License for Thai Duong Company. Subsequently, the General Department of Geology and Minerals made a proposal, and former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Nguyen Ngoc Linh, signed the renewal of the mineral exploitation license for Thai Duong Company in August 2021.
As a result, Thai Duong Company continued to illegally exploit minerals until they were discovered and handled, causing a loss of minerals worth more than VND 864 billion.
In this case, Mr. Nguyen The Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Yen Bai Province, stated that he signed the document requesting the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to renew the license for Thai Duong Company. However, the responsibility for supervising the mineral exploitation activities of Thai Duong Company rested with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which failed to report the company’s violations. Additionally, Mr. Phuoc did not receive any denunciations or reflections from the people about the violations in rare earth exploitation at Yen Phu mine.
Minh Duc
– 11:33 07/02/2025
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