Vietnamese Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The, when explaining to the investigating agency, confirmed that he had properly implemented his assigned duties and responsibilities.
While the procedural agency determined that he had a part of responsibility in the Ut “bald” (Dinh Ngoc He) case.
Vietnamese state media announced that it just said on December 1.
Specifically, related to the fraud case of appropriating property, taking advantage of powers to influence others to take advantage of, and violating the regulations on the management and use of state assets causing loss and waste, etc defendant Dinh Ngoc He (ie Ut “bald”) and his accomplices prepared to appear in court. Accordingly, the procedural body determined that Mr. The had a number of related critiques.
Previously, on August 28, 2020, Mr. Nguyen Van The sent a report to the investigating police agency of the Ministry of Public Security, saying that he was on duty when he gave the instructions to his subordinates … At the request of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the proposal of Yen Khanh Company, Minister Dinh La Thang has approved for the direction.
According to Mr. The’s explanation, the instructions to resolve the fact that Yen Khanh Company does not pay for the right to purchase the right to collect tolls of Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong high-speed way is in accordance with the provisions of the right purchase agreement.
As for the investment in the construction of two intersections at different levels between the route connecting Tan Tao – Cho Dem with provincial highway No. 10 and Tran Dai Nghia Street and the contract to sell toll collection rights on the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong expressway are 2 independent projects. Mr. The said that he will only be in charge of the project until the approval phase is completed. The next steps decided by the authority is the Prime Minister.
According to the prosecution agency, Mr. Nguyen Van The has a part of responsibility for not directing the termination of the contract with Yen Khanh Company; However, that is not the cause of the damage in the case, so the criminal liability for Mr. Nguyen Van The is not considered.
Some observers said that Mr. Nguyen Van The was clearly involved but “escaped in the middle of the hairline” because once the indictment directed Mr. The not enough grounds for criminal review, of course, the newspapers are also in that direction to guide public opinion, it can’t be helped.
Some people who are knowledgeable about the “running and fighting” said that, because Mr. The was still in power and was not detained, of course, he was also open to lobbying to avoid being arrested and while Mr. Dinh La Thang was given priority to admit all the crime to simplify the process.
This is also the reason that Mr. Le Thanh Hai and Tat Thanh Cang are so calm, although there are so many obvious and clear mistakes, but in the end, they are only criticized or dismissed and then removed from their posts only.
Previously, there were many speculations about the possibility that Mr. The would be arrested, but according to observations in the press, this time he could temporarily breathe a sigh of relief that “was over.”
Netizens used to give Mr. Nguyen Van The a very bad nickname, which is “The Pangasius“.
The author Thao Ngoc has an online commentary on Dan Lam Bao (Citizens journalists) that: “The reason for the nickname ‘Pangasius’ is because he was famous for getting bribes, when he was a deputy minister, even later as minister of the Ministry of Transport.
Speaking of Nguyen Van The, everyone can not forget the BOT Cai Lay (Tien Giang) case, which was famous for the heavenly mistakes of the Ministry of Transport, while Nguyen Van The was the deputy minister in charge of the southern region directly in charge of the projects and signing decisions to implement the projects.
In 2013, Mr. Nguyen Van The – then deputy minister of Transport – sent a document “suggesting” to set up the Cai Lay BOT toll station on Highway 1, which is outside the bypass route, proposing to Tien Giang Thong province to validate the procedure.
He is also the person who signed the decision to approve this project. Documents and project documents show that Tien Giang province has followed suit.
Approving construction for one road, do another: In Decision 2174 to formulate an investment project on the National Highway 1 bypassing Cai Lay town, there is no content “Strengthening the surface of National Highway 1.” After that, they decided to change the name and add the text “strengthening road surface and maintaining the National Highway No. 1 with a length of 26.5 kilometers.” They built a BOT bypass through Cai Lay town with a length of 12 km, but they voluntarily upgraded it. The old route is Highway 1 with a length of 26 km, they put a toll booth on the old National Highway No. 1, in a way that blocked the road, which made those who did not enter the BOT bypass also have to pay the fee unreasonably.
Toll too high: Trung Luong expressway is 62 km with 6 lanes, VND40,000 /time. And the 12-km bypass Cai Lay road, collecting VND35,000/time. It turns out that the Cai Lay bypass road is 14 times higher than the Trung Luong expressway.
And the people reacted violently, causing a one-of-a-kind war that caused the interest groups to surrender, the famous currency war.
However, on January 5, 2018, before the question of responsibility as the person who directly signed the decisions to implement the infamous BOT Cai Lay project (Tien Giang province), Minister of Transport and Communications Nguyen Van The still spoke his mouth. affirming that: “I am not self-interested, not interested in the group in this project”.
But now the “weather situation” has changed. With the press at the same time blasting, uncovering mistakes like this, proving they have been “turned on the green light”, it seems that the ‘political life’ of The Pangasius is difficult to preserve. If he knew how to vomit a lot, according to the formula: money can break rules, then he could escape without entering the furnace.
But surely there will be no chance for being re-elected to the 13th Central Committee of the party. And so He is forced to retire to go home to raise pangasius and continue… to eat.
But this time, it is not the blood and sweat of the people through the tax-transfer, but the food excretion of the people at the bridge.
Because people in the western Mekong Delta have a habit of raising pangasius in their ponds, making bridges and defecating the fish to eat. So that!” author Thao Ngoc concludes.
In addition to the conclusion that former Minister Dinh La Thang was the mastermind of the case related to the bidding and toll collection of the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong expressway, the investigation agency also identified Mr. Nguyen Van The (then the deputy minister) as the person who signed many related documents.
According to the investigation conclusion, the process of managing the payment of winning auction money, as soon as the Yen Khanh Company made the payment is not on time, Cuu Long Corporation has reported in writing to the Ministry of Transport.
This ministry has 12 guiding documents, in which Mr. Nguyen Van The (then deputy minister of Transport, now the minister) has signed 3 directing documents “Do not propose to terminate the contract before the deadline, revoke the right to collect fees,” stated investigation conclusion.
Specifically, on August 31, 2015, Mr. Nguyen Van The signed document No. 11594 to Cuu Long Corporation, Yen Khanh Company with the direction content: Requesting Yen Khanh Company to base the conclusion notice of the Ministry of Transport to urgently make payment according to the committed schedule, assign Cuu Long Corporation to be responsible for making payment as committed.
Next, Mr. The also signed a document with similar content.
When Cuu Long Corporation reported the proposal to terminate the contract, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van The signed a report dated June 22, 2015 to Minister Dinh La Thang on the implementation of the contract to purchase the right to collect HCM – Trung Luong expressway tolls.
In this report, it is clear: up to now, there are enough grounds to consider terminating the contract of transferring the right to collect tolls for Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong expressway for Yen Khanh Company.
On June 23, 2015, Mr. Dinh La Thang had a pen approving the directive report: “Suggest Mr. The direct the settlement in accordance with the signed contract of the two parties and in accordance with the law. There is a need for clarifying responsibilities of investors and state agencies, Cuu Long Corporation.”
After that, Mr. Nguyen Van The gave his next direction under the approval of Mr. Dinh La Thang: “Urgently, ask Cuu Long Corporation, Department of Finance, Legal … to work again with Yen Company. Khanh discussed each specific issue, reaching clear and definitive conclusions … “
In order to have a reason to report the delay and offset the payable amount, Yen Khanh Company has sent a written request to the Ministry of Transport to propose the assignment of Yen Khanh Company to be appointed as an additional construction investor of 2 traffic nodes on the route connecting Tan Tao – Cho Dem on the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong highway in the form of BOT or BOT contract combined with BT with a total investment of VND13 trillion.
Mr. Dinh La Thang wrote his approval on the report: “Agree, please forward Mr. The to resolve.”
According to the investigation conclusion, the fact that Mr. Nguyen Van The signed the documents directing Cuu Long Corporation and chaired many meetings to direct the formulation of project approval procedures, and signed documents to send to the Ministry of Finance for proposals, implement the financial plan, sign a document to send to the Prime Minister a proposal to appoint Yen Khanh Company as an investor, sign a decision approving the project proposal under the BOT form; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dong, deputy minister, signed many decisions that were not in accordance with the law, legalized the contents proposed by Yen Khanh Company.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
