On March 5, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province said that it had issued a decision to cancel the certificates of land use rights, ownership of houses and other assets attached to land (red books) issued to Saigon - Dai Ninh Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company (Saigon Dai Ninh Company).
Accordingly, the department decided to cancel 5 red books with numbers: BM 926888, BM 926889, BM 926890, BM 926891 and BM 926892.
These certificates were issued on February 28, 2013 for businesses to implement the Dai Ninh Commercial, Tourism, and Ecological Resort Urban Area Project (Saigon Dai Ninh Project).
The area belonging to the 5 red books is located in the former Duc Trong district area, now belonging to Duc Trong, Ninh Gia and Ta Hine communes (Lam Dong province).
According to the Lam Dong Department of Agriculture and Environment, on January 13, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision to revoke the entire land area allocated to Saigon Dai Ninh Company. However, the enterprise did not return the red books that had been issued, so functional agencies had to issue a decision to cancel according to regulations.
Regarding this project, the People's Committee of Lam Dong province has also issued a decision to recover 877ha of forest previously assigned to Saigon Dai Ninh Company for management.
Of which, nearly 790ha of forest is assigned to the Duc Trong Protection Forest Management Board for management and protection; more than 87ha remaining is assigned to the Provincial Land Fund Development Center and related units for management.
Previously, on January 13, the People's Committee of Lam Dong province decided to recover 1,434ha of land that had been allocated, leased or allowed Saigon Dai Ninh Company to change the land use purpose to implement the project.
The reason for the recovery is that the enterprise violated the provisions of land law and was slow to put the land into use.
The Saigon - Dai Ninh project was granted an investment certificate by the People's Committee of Lam Dong province in 2010 with a total investment of more than 25,000 billion VND.
This project is also related to many violations, causing some officials and leaders to be criminally handled.
In March 2023, former Chief Inspector of Lam Dong province Nguyen Ngoc Anh was arrested by the Ministry of Public Security for the act of receiving bribes.
In August 2023, former Director of Department I, Government Office Tran Bich Ngoc was prosecuted and temporarily detained for investigation into the crime of Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties.
At the beginning of January 2024, the Department of Investigation of Corruption, Economic, and Smuggling Crimes (Ministry of Public Security) prosecuted and temporarily detained former Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Hiep for the crime of Receiving bribes.
At the end of January 2024, former Lam Dong Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc Quan was also prosecuted and temporarily detained for the crime of Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties.
After that, the Hanoi People's Court tried the case and sentenced Nguyen Cao Tri - General Director of Saigon Dai Ninh Company - to 3 years in prison for the crime of Giving bribes; former Secretary of the Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee Tran Duc Quan 5 years and 6 months in prison; former Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Hiep 6 years and 6 months in prison, both for the crime of Receiving bribes.
Regarding violations at this project, former Chief Inspector of Lam Dong province Nguyen Ngoc Anh and many other officials have also been sentenced to prison.
