Police in Bình Thuận Province have started criminal proceedings against four leaders and officials from the Là Ngà Protective Forest Management Board for violating regulations on the exploitation and protection of forests.


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Many large trees have been illegally chopped down in La Ngà protective forest in Bình Thuận Province. 



The case is being made under the Article 232 of the Criminal Code 2015.

The accused are Nguyễn Trọng Kiều, the head of the board, and Hồ Quang Đạo, Đoàn Tiến and Trương Minh Tâm.

Three of them have been detained while Trương Minh Tâm has been released on bail and placed under house arrest.

According to records, the management board of La Ngà had been lax and failed to prevent illegal logging.

There are even signs that officers colluded with loggers.

In addition, the management board withheld funds used to pay for forest protection activities and used the money for other purposes.

The La Ngà Protection Forest Management Board had compiled a list of hundreds of households in charge of forests protection, but most them did not receive money, and some did not even know they were on the list. — VNS