A former senior provincial official who took a $300,000 bribe to allow mining in the area is among 44 people facing justice at the Ho Chi Minh City court, in the country’s largest-ever illegal sand mining case, Lao Dong newspaper said.
Nguyen Thanh Binh, the former chairman of the people’s committee in An Giang province in the Mekong river delta, is accused of abuse of power, reported court newspaper Cong Ly.
The former CEO of the firm, Le Quang Binh, is accused of bribery, violation of regulations on exploration and exploitation of natural resources, and money laundering.
In a 2023 report from conservation group WWF, experts warned that sand mining to feed Vietnam’s construction boom was depleting resources so fast that the Mekong Delta -- the country’s “rice bowl” -- could run out in just over a decade.
Around 20,000 households need to be resettled because of the risks, according to Vietnam’s natural disaster prevention and control department.
A verdict in the Ho Chi Minh City trial is expected on April 4.
Nguyen Thanh Binh has already paid back $300,000 to the court, Cong Ly newspaper said.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 44 people on trial in Vietnam over illegal sand mining )
Also on site :