An aerial view of CT6 Kiến Hưng project (lower right). —Photo dantri.com.vn

Investigation results said that Lê Thanh Thản sold 488 apartments in the CT6 Kiến Hưng project that did not have State recognition for land use rights, house ownership or other land-related assets, illegally obtaining over VNĐ481 billion (US$20.3 million) in profit.

The prosecution agency determined that this amount, which includes more than VNĐ56 billion ($2.4 million) worth of land use rights, has caused serious damage to the 488 customers. 

The indictment also said that Bemes JSC, of which Thản is the chairman and director-general, has committed grave violations related to construction, design, project supervision and finalisation in the CT6 Kiến Hương Project, which did not meet the requirement for pink book issuance and real estate trading. 

The pink book is proof of ownership and outlines the legal rights of owners to use, lease and manage their real estate property.

Six other defendants, who are local officials of Hà Đông District, will also appear in court for their “negligence that results in serious consequences” per Article 360 of the Penal Code. 

They are the former chairman of Kiến Hưng Ward People’s Committee Đỗ Văn Hưng (b. 1968); former deputy chairmen of Kiến Hưng Ward People’s Committee Nguyễn Duy Uyển (b. 1964) and Bùi Văn Bằng (b. 1969); former district construction inspector Nguyễn Văn Nam (b. 1965); former district deputy inspector Vương Đăng Quân (b. 1958); and former employee of the district inspection office Mai Quang Bài (b. 1960). 

Court documents said that the violations at the project took place over an extended period of time, but the ward’s officials failed to inspect, detect and take prompt actions to address these wrongdoings per the law. 

The CT6 Kiến Hưng project was approved by the former Hà Tây Provincial People’s Committee in June 2008. The province later became part of Hà Nội in August of the same year. 

In August 2011, the capital city’s People’s Committee issued a decision approving a change in land use purposes for the project.

However, since October 2010, Thản had given direction for the project construction, which violated the plan approved by Hà Tây Provincial People’s Committee. 

The project was completed in November 2012 and apartments were handed over to homeowners in January 2013. 

Court papers said that Thản has arbitrarily changed the land use purposes and committed violations during the project duration, such as increasing the construction area and height, the number of houses and apartments, as well as building a new block named CT6C which was not included in the approved plan. 

Since March 2011, Thản had falsely advertised the legality of the project as “approved, with apartment and building designs complying with construction regulations, selling price has included the value of land use rights” to put the project on sale and increase customer’s trust. — VNS