VietNamNet Bridge – The Khanh Hoa Provincial Police Agency has prosecuted and arrested three police officers of Khanh Son district for involvement in the aloes wood appropriation case in September 2012, for investigating of abusing powers on duty.

 

 

In September 2012, hundreds of people flocked to the forest of Gop Nga in Son Trung commune, Khanh Son district in Khanh Hoa province to seek aloes wood.  

The three defendants are Vu Anh Trung, 35, former chief of the economic-environment police team; Nguyen Hong Ha, 46, former captain of the traffic police team; and Tran Le Kien, 29, former deputy chief of the criminal enforcement - judicial assistance police team of Khanh Son district.

The three former policemen were suspended by a decision of the Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Police Agency.

In September 2012, hundreds of people flocked to the forest of Gop Nga in Son Trung commune, Khanh Son district in Khanh Hoa province to seek aloes wood. The Khanh Son district People's Committee set up a joint inspection team to stop these people.

In the afternoon of September 26, some officials in the inspection team met with representatives of the aloe wood hunters. The officials permitted these people to search for aloe-wood in the condition of sharing the rare wood for them.

At around 19 pm that night, the aloe-wood hunters found 1.5 kg of aloes wood, worth VND15-16 billion ($700,000-800,000). The wood was appropriated by some members of the inspection team.

In early October, aloes wood seekers sent a petition to the People's Committee of Khanh Son district and Khanh Son district police, asking them to handle the case. Not yet receiving a response from the authorities, they grouped up to ask for the local government to clarify the matter.

As the case was broken, Khanh Hoa’s police agency conducted investigation. Some police officers of Khanh Son district had to pay back more than VND1 billion ($50,000) to the local authorities.

At the same time, the defense inspectorate of Khanh Hoa Provincial Military Command performed inspections. Nine officers and two non-commissioned officers of the army force of Khanh Son district also had to pay back VND220 million ($10,000) of “commission” from aloes wood hunters.

Ly Hien Vinh