The People's Court of An Giang Province has proposed a prison sentence of 9-10 years for Nguyen Thanh Binh, former Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee, on charges of "abusing position and power while performing official duties." The sentencing recommendation came during the first-instance trial held on March 27.

The court also proposed a 6-7 year prison term for Tran Anh Thu, former Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee, on charges of "receiving bribes."

Massive illegal sand mining operation uncovered

According to the People's Procuracy of An Giang Province, between 2020 and 2023, Le Quang Binh, Chairman and General Director of Trung Hau Company, and his accomplices bribed officials and took advantage of personal relationships to secure illegal sand mining permits from An Giang provincial authorities.

Once the permits were granted, Le Quang Binh exploited the authorization to conduct unauthorized sand mining under the pretext of serving key construction projects.

The illegal operation resulted in the extraction and sale of over 3,710 cubic meters of sand, valued at nearly USD 12.4 million, causing significant financial losses to the state budget.

To legitimize the illegally mined sand and conceal the illicit profits, Binh and his accomplices engaged in the illegal trading of invoices and falsification of state budget contribution documents. They also laundered money through various transactions involving individual intermediaries.

Serious violations despite personal achievements

The People's Procuracy representatives emphasized that the actions of the former provincial leaders were particularly severe, as they exploited their official positions to facilitate illegal sand mining operations, directly violating regulations on natural resource exploration and exploitation.

Despite the gravity of the offenses, the People's Procuracy acknowledged the defendants' cooperative attitude during the investigation.

Many of the accused, including Nguyen Thanh Binh and Tran Anh Thu, voluntarily contributed money and assets to mitigate the consequences. Furthermore, several defendants had previously received honors and awards for their service, including commendations from the Prime Minister and other accolades.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, in particular, had been awarded the Third-Class Labor Order, the Third-Class Resistance Order, and the title of "Outstanding Educator."

Recommended sentences for key defendants

The People's Procuracyrecommended the following sentences:

Le Quang Binh: 12 years and 6 months to 13 years and 6 months for "offering bribes"; 6-7 years for "violating regulations on resource exploration and exploitation"; and 10 years and 6 months to 11 years and 6 months for "money laundering." Total sentence: 30 years in prison.

Nguyen Thanh Binh: 9-10 years for "abusing position and power while performing official duties."

Tran Anh Thu: 6-7 years for "receiving bribes."

Other defendants face sentences ranging from 2-3 years of suspended imprisonment to 18 years in prison for offenses including violating regulations on resource exploration, giving and receiving bribes, abusing power, illegal printing and trading of invoices, and money laundering.

Thanh Phuong