VietNamNet Bridge – A real estate corruption case in HCM City has closed with a death sentence for Pham Thi Tuyet Lan and 25 years in prison for the Go Vap District People’s Committee chairman.
After a 4-day hearing, on the afternoon of February 6, 2007, the judging committee of the Go Vap district real estate corruption case reached the verdicts. The Go Vap case is one of the 9 major real estate corruption cases in HCM City. According to the judging committee, this case is particularly serious and large scale. The defendants established a tight corruption ring, whose first point of contact was Phạm Thi Tuyet Lan.
In 2000, Pham Thi Tuyet Lan, a real estate broker residing in Phu Nhuan District, colluded with Tran Kim Long, former chairman of the Go Vap district People’s Committee, Duong Cong Hiep, former deputy head of the Go Vap district Urban Administration Office, Le Minh Chau and Ho Tung Lam, former director and vice director, respectively, of Go Mon Real Estate Company to engage in illegal land sales totaling 16 billion dong.
Fearing prosecution, Tran Kim Long, Chau and Lam contacted Nguyen Minh Hoang (an underground salesman) to try to bribe authorities responsible for handling the illegal land sales of Go Mon Company and Pham Thi Tuyet Lan. Nguyen Van Tinh, then Secretary of Go Vap District, knew about the sales, and asked for 800 million dong to cover things up.
Pham Thi Tuyet Lan, who was charged with appropriation of property, received the heaviest sentence. Tran Kim Long was sentenced to 11 years in prison for appropriation of property, 11 years for bribery and 3 years for taking advantage of power to inflict damage on others for self-interested purposes. Nguyen Van Tinh was sentenced to 11 years in prison for taking advantage of power for self interests. Duong Cong Hiep received an 18-year sentence for appropriation; Le Minh Chau was sentenced to 10 years for the same crime, as well as 12 years for bribery; Ho Tung Lam received 8 years for appropriation, and 10 years for bribery, and Nguyen Minh Hoang was sentenced to 5 years for deception.
Gia Khang | 
