Thousands of State-Owned Rocks “Vanish” into Private Pockets
On the afternoon of September 30th, the Investigative Police Agency of Quang Ngai Province executed an arrest warrant for Ms. Pham Thi Minh Ly (51 years old, residing in Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province) – Director of Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. – on charges of breach of trust to appropriate property.
According to the investigation, following a report from Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Stock Company about discovering Ly Tuan Co., Ltd.’s unauthorized removal of rocks from the Phi Long storage yard (a temporary storage area for rocks used in the steel project of Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Stock Company), the Investigative Police Agency of Quang Ngai Province launched an investigation.
As part of the project, Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Stock Company hired Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. to transport rocks from the construction site to the Phi Long storage yard (located in Van Tuong Commune, Quang Ngai Province).
However, from July 8th to July 15th, Ms. Pham Thi Minh Ly – Director of Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. – instructed employees to load and transport thousands of cubic meters of quarry stones (state-owned property) from the Phi Long storage yard for sale without obtaining permission from the competent authorities.
Ms. Ly’s actions have negatively impacted public order, caused public outrage, affected local residents, and infringed upon state property.
After the Provincial People’s Procuracy approved the prosecution procedures, on the morning of September 30th, the Investigative Police Agency of Quang Ngai Province issued a decision to initiate criminal proceedings, prosecute the defendant, and execute an arrest warrant for Pham Thi Minh Ly, detaining her and searching her residence and the headquarters of Ly Tuan Co., Ltd.
Initially, the police determined that Ms. Ly’s actions constitute the crime of “Breach of Trust to Appropriate Property,” as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 175 of the Penal Code.
Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. Involved in Multiple “Shocking” Incidents
Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. is quite “notorious” in Quang Ngai, primarily operating in Binh Son District and Dung Quat Economic Zone, with its main business activities being mineral exploitation and transportation.
In September 2022, the People’s Committee of Quang Ngai Province imposed a fine of nearly 1 billion VND on Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. for illegal mining at the Dong Cay Dua quarry, suspending operations for 10 months and recovering over 258 million VND in illegal profits.
In April 2024, the Quang Nam Provincial Police discovered 167,300 cubic meters of rocks without invoices or documents, transported by Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. from the construction site of the Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Complex project to the Ky Ha port.
Notably, Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. was directly involved in the sinking of a barge and tugboat off Ly Son Island on the morning of April 24, 2024, resulting in 9 deaths and missing persons. Ly Tuan Co., Ltd. was the company that hired the tugboat and barge to transport quarry stones from Ky Ha port to Ly Son. Alarmingly, 4 of the deceased were not listed on the registered crew manifest.
Meanwhile, the manifest registered with the authorities before the tugboat and barge departed from Ky Ha port listed only 5 crew members, all of whom remain mysteriously missing.
On May 17, 2024, the Investigative Police Agency of Quang Ngai Province initiated criminal proceedings for the waterway accident. By June 2025, the salvage operation was completed, allowing investigators to access the tugboat, excavator, and barge to determine the cause of the accident.
By the end of August 2025, the Investigative Police Agency of Quang Ngai Province announced the temporary suspension of the investigation due to the expiration of the investigation period.
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