“Gia Lai Warehouse Scandal: Locals Accuse Commune Secretary of Building on Public Land”

On the morning of September 17th, in a conversation with a reporter from Bao Nguoi Lao Dong, Mr. Tran Van Nhan (born in 1963, residing in An Luong village, An Luong commune, Gia Lai province) stated that he had submitted a complaint to the Provincial Party Secretary, the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, local authorities, and the press. He accused Mr. Tran Quoc Vinh, Secretary of the An Luong Commune Party Committee, of allegedly covering up violations in public land management and retaliating against whistleblowers.

According to Mr. Nhan, earlier this year, he submitted a complaint to the People’s Committee of My Chanh commune, Phu My district, Binh Dinh province (formerly), reporting that his neighbor, Mr. Lai My Sinh (born in 1982, owner of a construction materials business), had illegally constructed a warehouse spanning hundreds of square meters on a stream behind his house. This land is public property managed by the state.

Instead of decisively addressing Mr. Lai My Sinh’s violations, Mr. Tran Quoc Vinh, who was then Secretary and Chairman of the My Chanh Commune People’s Committee (formerly), took actions that unfairly targeted the whistleblower.

Specifically, during a meeting on May 14, 2025, chaired by Mr. Tran Quoc Vinh, instead of addressing Mr. Sinh’s violations, Mr. Nhan was falsely accused of “encroaching on 112.6 square meters of public land.” Subsequently, the commune leadership proposed a “solution” for both parties to maintain the status quo, with removal only when the state initiates a project.

Mr. Nhan asserts that the land he is using is legal and, in fact, falls short by approximately 40 square meters compared to his land use certificate. Meanwhile, Mr. Sinh’s illegal construction remains on public land, despite local authorities issuing a demolition order on May 22, 2025.

“After the local authorities issued the demolition order, Mr. Sinh only removed a few sheets of roofing as a formality. The concrete foundation, nearly 2 meters high, remains intact on the stream. However, Mr. Vinh told residents and reported to authorities that Mr. Sinh had demolished the illegal structure. The real issue is that the new foundation causes flooding for nearby households during heavy rain,” Mr. Nhan expressed frustration.

Mr. Nhan continued, “For many years, my family’s rice warehouse has frequently flooded, causing damage worth hundreds of millions of dong, yet the illegal structure remains unabated.”

In a discussion with reporters about the incident, Mr. Tran Quoc Vinh claimed that Mr. Sinh had already demolished the illegal structure. Regarding the remaining foundation on the stream, he stated it is public land and does not affect anyone. As for the false accusation against Mr. Nhan, Mr. Vinh explained it was due to a “measurement error by commune officials.”

Given these grievances, Mr. Nhan urges Gia Lai provincial authorities to conduct a comprehensive inspection, clarify the responsibilities of Commune Secretary Tran Quoc Vinh, enforce the demolition of the violating structure, and implement measures to protect whistleblowers as prescribed by law.