Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’sCourt will open proceedings in the trial of Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairmanand General Director of PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation(PVC), and his accomplices accused of wrongdoings at PetroVietnam and its subsidiary PVC on January 8.

The court will judge 22 defendants who will be presented by a total of 42lawyers, including three lawyers for Dinh La Thang, former Chairman ofthe Member Council of PetroVietnam, and five lawyers for Thanh.

Twelve out of the defendants in the case have been charged with “deliberatelyviolating State regulations on economic management, causing severeconsequences” in line with Clause 3 of Article 165 of the 1999 Penal Code – thecount that could send violators to jail for 10-20 years.

Meanwhile, eight others have been charged with “misappropriating property” inaccordance with Clause 4 of Article 278 of the 1999 Penal Code, whichprescribes sentences ranging from 20 years in prison to life imprisonment ordeath penalty.

Thanh and Vu Duc Thuan, former PVC General Director, have been charged withboth “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management,causing severe consequences” and “misappropriating property.”

According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam, thisis an extremely serious case involving people holding key positions inimportant economic units and major national projects like Thai Binh 2 thermalpower plant. 

The indictment says that Thang was mainly responsible for wrongdoings duringconstruction of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant project.

He allegedly instructed PVC to carry out the engineering, procurement andconstruction (EPC) package. He was also accused of directing PetroVietnam PowerCorporation (PV Power) to illegally sign EPC No. 33 with PVC.

Then, based on the illegitimate contracts, Thang went on to direct PetroVietnamto advance over 6.6 million USD and over 1.3 trillion VND (57.7 million USD) inbreach of regulations, according to prosecutors.

Thang’s alleged actions caused losses of nearly 120 billion VND (5.3 millionUSD) to the State coffer.

Meanwhile, Thanh purportedly directed Thuan to sign EPC No. 33 during theconstruction of the Thai Binh 2 project so PVC could get advance deposits ofover 6.6 million USD and over 1.3 trillion VND (57.7 million USD). He is alsoaccused of using the money illegally, causing losses to the State budget.

Thanh and Thuan also reportedly directed Nguyen Anh Minh, PVC’s former DeputyGeneral Director and Luong Van Hoa, former Director of PVC’s Vung Ang-QuangTrach Project Management Board, to draw up false documents to withdraw morethan 13 billion VND (578,000 USD) from the project for personal use.

Such wrongdoings are brought to light more than one month after a meeting ofthe Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption’s Standing Board which tookplace in late November 2017, reflecting the high resolve of the Party, theState and the political system in the uncompromising combat against corruptionand other bad deeds.

The trial is in line with instructions of General Secretary of the CommunistParty of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the committee, who urged moredrastic actions against corruption.

The corrupt acts have not only caused severe economic losses for the State butalso eroded public trust and adversely affected the prestige of all-level Partycommittees and organisations, as well as the honour and virtue of Partymembers. Any wrongdoers who do harm to the Party, State and people, cannotevade punishments.-VNA