VietNamNet Bridge – The Hai Phong City People’s Court on August 1 reviewed and announced the final sentences given to defendants involved in “destroying property, irresponsibility and causing serious consequences” in relation to a case of coercive land reclamation in Vinh Quang Commune, Tien Lang District.

Photo: VNN

The court rejected the appeals of Pham Xuan Hoa, Le Thanh Liem and Pham Dang Hoan, maintaining the original verdict.

It gave Pham Xuan Hoa, former chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Tien Lang District, a 24-month suspended sentence and a 48-month probation term.

Le Thanh Liem, former chairman of Tien Lang District’s Vinh Quang Commune, received a 24-month suspended sentence and a 48-month probation service.

Pham Dang Hoan, former secretary of Vinh Quang Commune’s Party committee, and Le Van Hien, former chairman of Tien Lang District People’s Committee, each received a 15-month suspended prison sentence and a 30-month probation period.

The defendants are banned from holding any position in Government agencies or social organisations for one year after their main sentences. They are also to jointly compensate all losses and damages for the victims.

Considering mitigating circumstances, the court accepted former vice chairman of Tien Lang District People’s Committee Nguyen Van Khanh’s appeal and gave him a 30-month suspended jail term and a 42-month probation period. He is also forbidden to take up any position in Government agencies or social organisations for one year after completing his main sentence.

The court also rejected the appeals of victims to prosecute other people connected to the case and increase their compensation, reasoning the absence of sufficient legal grounds.

The victims are Doan Van Vuon (50), his wife Nguyen Thi Thuong (53), and Pham Thi Bau (31) from Thuy Neo Village, Bac Hung Commune, Tien Lang District.

According to the verdict, No. 12/CT – P1, presented by the Hai Phong City People’s Procuracy on January 7, Tien Lang district People’s Committee on November 24, 2011, issued Decision No. 3307/QD-UBND to force Vuon to return 19.3 hectares of aquatic farmland as the lease had expired.

That same day, the district People’s Committee issued plan No.104/KH-UBND on holding coercive activities to take back the land.

Hien assigned Nguyen Van Khanh, Pham Xuan Hoa and Le Thanh Liem among others to execute the plan.

However, Khanh edited and signed notice No. 225 dated December 28, 2011, on deploying working groups to pull down the houses in the eviction area.

On January 5, 2012, Khanh ordered Hoa, Liem, Hoan and others to dismantle Vuon and Quy’s houses. This lasted for two days and resulted in a property loss of over 295 million VND (14,000 USD).

Source: Vietnam Plus