In connection with the illegal sand mining activities of Trung Hau 68 Investment Joint Stock Company, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court has sentenced former An Giang Provincial Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh to eight and a half years in prison for “abuse of power or position while performing official duties.”

Following more than a week of trial and deliberation, the court delivered its verdict on April 2, handing down sentences to 44 defendants involved in the Trung Hau 68 sand mining scandal.

According to the court, defendant Le Quang Binh - Chairman of the Board and General Director of Trung Hau 68 - was the ringleader and primary beneficiary. His actions severely violated natural resource regulations and included multiple instances of bribing provincial leaders in An Giang to gain unauthorized access to sand mining sites.

The court noted the particularly serious nature of the offenses and ruled that the penalties must reflect this. However, prosecutors acknowledged that many defendants had cooperated during the investigation and made honest confessions, helping clarify the facts of the case.

Some former employees of Trung Hau 68 voluntarily paid compensation, despite not personally benefiting from the illicit gains orchestrated by Le Quang Binh. One such defendant even paid VND 3 billion (approximately USD 120,000) to remedy the damage.

Several defendants, including Nguyen Thanh Binh, Tran Anh Thu, Nguyen Viet Tri, Nguyen Bao Trung, Huynh Van Thai, Tran Van Hai, Truong Minh Tam, Nguyen Van Tho, and Thai Thanh Qui, had been previously recognized for their contributions to public service, earning commendation certificates and awards.

In particular, Nguyen Thanh Binh, former Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee, had received the Third-class Labor Order, the Third-class Resistance Order, a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister, and the honorary title of Distinguished Teacher.

Taking these factors into account, the court issued the following sentences:

Le Quang Binh: 13 years for “giving bribes,” 6 years for “violating regulations on research, exploration, and exploitation of natural resources,” and 12 years for “money laundering,” totaling 30 years in prison.

Nguyen Thanh Binh: 8 years and 6 months for “abuse of power while performing official duties,” along with a 3-year ban from holding any position related to natural resource management following the completion of his prison term.

Tran Anh Thu (former Vice Chairman of An Giang Province): 8 years for “receiving bribes.”

Nguyen Viet Tri (former Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of An Giang): 9 years for “receiving bribes.”

Both will also be prohibited from holding resource-related posts for two years after serving their sentences.

Two defendants were fined for violating regulations on natural resource exploration and exploitation.

Other defendants received sentences ranging from three years' probation to nine years in prison for crimes including: violating regulations on natural resource exploitation, giving or receiving bribes, abusing official positions, illegal trading of invoices and tax documents, and money laundering.

On the civil side, the court ordered Le Quang Binh to forfeit more than VND 293 billion (approximately USD 11.7 million) in profits from illegal sand mining and VND 817 million (approximately USD 32,700) in unpaid taxes, all of which will be submitted to the state treasury.

Former officials and cadres in An Giang who accepted money from Le Quang Binh for personal gain must also return the funds. Any illicit profits must be reclaimed and transferred to the state budget.

Other individuals connected to the case who received money from Le Quang Binh must return those funds to ensure his obligation to fulfill sentencing requirements, as the money originated from his criminal conduct. Any disputes between Binh and these individuals will be handled in separate civil proceedings.

Thanh Phuong