On April 13, Gia Lai Provincial Forest Protection Department said that it had directed the Phu My Regional Forest Protection Department to investigate and handle the case of Mr. Bui Van Thang - former Director of the Protection Forest Management Board (BQLRPH) of Phu My district, former Binh Dinh province (now BQLRPH Phu My, Gia Lai) - arbitrarily exploiting protection forest.
Phu My Regional Forest Protection Department coordinates with relevant parties to verify and clarify the case of Mr. Bui Van Thang arbitrarily exploiting protection forest planting without permission from competent authorities; handle or advise competent authorities to handle it in accordance with regulations", Gia Lai Provincial Forest Protection Department requested.
According to the Phu My Regional Forest Protection Department, through on-site inspection, functional agencies discovered that more than 2,400m2 of planted forest of acacia hybrid trees in plot 1a, sub-zone 166 (Phu My Tay commune) had been exploited.
Previously, in 1996, implementing Project 661, Deo Nhong Agro-Forestry Farm (now Phu My BQLRPH) planted protection forests using state budget funds, the crops were cashew trees, black muong trees and acacia trees in plot 1a, sub-zone 166.
In 2000, Deo Nhong Agro-Forestry Farm established a contract and signed a contract to manage and protect protection forests planted with Mr. Phan Van Hien, contract from June 1, 2000 to the end of 2004. Because Mr. Hien did not care for and protect the forest according to the signed contract, Deo Nhong Agro-Forestry Farm terminated the contract with Mr. Hien.
After that, this unit signed a contract to subcontract this forest area to Mr. Nguyen Dong Dao for management and protection. In 2007, Deo Nhong Agro-Forestry Farm continued to terminate the contract with Mr. Dao, because this person did not perform forest care and protection according to the contract.
The fact that cashew trees, black muong trees and acacia trees planted in 1996 in the project were destroyed and converted to hybrid acacia trees, Phu My Forest Protection Management Board does not know when it happened.
From 2008 to 2012, the above-mentioned forest area was managed and protected by Phu My Forest Protection Management Board, not contracted.
Project 661 ended in 2010, but on January 5, 2012, Phu My Forest Protection Management Board still signed a contract to assign Mr. Dinh Ba Trang (resident of Phu My Nam commune) to manage and protect protective forests planted, the acacia hybrid tree species planted in 2007 in plot 1a, sub-zone 166 until the planted forest is allowed to be exploited.
But in reality, Mr. Trang is only the person named in the contract, while Mr. Thang is the person directly managing, protecting, exploiting and benefiting from this planted forest area.
In 2020, Mr. Trang met Mr. Thang (then Director of Phu My Forest Protection Management Board) to return the area of protection forest that had been contracted in plot 1a, sub-zone 166.
However, Mr. Thang did not liquidate the contract with Mr. Trang according to regulations, still keeping the contract, in order to intentionally occupy forest land plots to continue planting, exploiting, and benefiting himself.
On March 28, 2026, through forest protection patrols, local officials of Phu My Forest Protection Management Board discovered and made a record of the case of exploitation of planted forests in plot 1a, sub-zone 166, with an area of about 2,000m2. The exploited planted forest area was invested by Mr. Thang himself to plant forests, not state-invested capital.
Although the incident was discovered, Phu My Forest Protection Management Board still deliberately concealed it, not reporting to the Phu My Regional Forest Protection Department for coordination in handling.
