On April 21, the Hanoi People's Court began the first-instance trial of Hoang Quoc Vuong (born 1963), former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, on charges of "abusing position and power while performing official duties."

Alongside Hoang Quoc Vuong, Phuong Hoang Kim (born 1973), former Director of the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and 10 other defendants are also on trial for "abuse of position and power" and "lack of responsibility causing serious consequences."

The trial, presided over by Judge Nguyen Xuan Van, is expected to last nine days. Around 40 lawyers are involved in the case, with seven representing Hoang Quoc Vuong. More than 90 individuals with related rights and obligations have been summoned.

According to the indictment, while serving as Deputy Minister, Hoang Quoc Vuong abused his authority by directing the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy to draft Decision No. 13 in a way that expanded the scope of projects eligible for preferential electricity pricing.

He also endorsed the inclusion of the Trung Nam - Thuan Nam Solar Power Plant project in the national power development plan and supported the proposal for it to receive a fixed electricity price of 9.35 U.S. cents/kWh.

This misconduct caused more than 1.043 trillion VND (approximately 41.3 million USD) in damages to the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN).

The investigation found that from August 31, 2018, to April 6, 2020, Vuong, who was responsible for overseeing the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, directly instructed the development of Decision No. 13/2020/QD-TTg, despite being aware of Government Resolution 115/NQ-CP and the Prime Minister's directives regarding support mechanisms for solar projects in Ninh Thuan Province.

Driven by self-interest, Vuong committed acts contrary to his official duties.

Co-defendant Phuong Hoang Kim, who served as director of the same department from 2012 to 2020, was assigned to lead the drafting team for Decision No. 13.

He was aware of government policy and the Prime Minister’s guidance but sought to improperly favor the Thuan Nam project. Kim attempted to shift responsibility for the drafting process to Deputy Director Do Duc Quan, though this was rejected by Vuong.

Instead of directing his department to follow the correct procedures aligned with Resolution 115, Kim deliberately failed to report the discrepancies in the draft to the Ministry’s leadership. He also personally recommended the inclusion of the Thuan Nam project in the development plan to receive the preferential rate.

Kim’s actions likewise resulted in a loss of over 1.043 trillion VND to EVN.

The indictment states that the actions of Vuong, Kim, and their co-defendants were extremely serious, damaging the reputation and proper functioning of government institutions, eroding public trust, and causing major financial losses to the state. The court emphasized the need for strict legal consequences.

Defendants in the trial include:

Hoang Quoc Vuong – former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade
Pham Quang Vinh – former Deputy Head of Inspection Unit 1, Binh Phuoc Tax Department
Phuong Hoang Kim – former Director of Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy
Trinh Van Doan – former Specialist at the Licensing and Public Relations Division, Electricity Regulatory Authority
Tran Quoc Hung – former Deputy Head of Licensing and Public Relations Division, Electricity Regulatory Authority
Nguyen Danh Son – former Director of the Electricity Trading Company, EVN
Nguyen Huu Khai – former Head of Electricity Trading Division, EVN
Do Ngoc Tuyen – former Specialist, Electricity Trading Division, EVN
Truong Hoang Dung – former Technician, IT Division, Electricity Trading Company, EVN
Phan Van Sang – former Officer of Inspection Unit 3, Binh Phuoc Tax Department
Nguyen Duy Khanh – former Deputy Director, Binh Phuoc Tax Department
Tran Van Dinh – former Head of Inspection, Binh Phuoc Tax Department

T. Nhung