Former HCMC leader stripped of Party titles

Two days prior, the Politburo and the Secretariat announced that Hai, along with Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong, also former chair-people of the Committee, had violated democratic centralism principles as well as Party regulations. They had been negligent in management, allowing violations among Party and city authorities.

Such violations have resulted in severe consequences that risk great losses to state funds and property, allowing crimes to fester, the Party units said.

On May 14, the Politburo had issued warnings to the city Standing Party Committee for the 2010-2015 term, as well as Quan and Phong.

Hai, 74, hails from Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta.

He was a Politburo member for the 10th and 11th terms (2006 - 2016) and a Central Committee member from the 9th to 11th terms (2001 - 2016). His career is closely associated with Ho Chi Minh City, having held various leadership positions there, such as deputy chairman and chairman of the People’s Committee, as well as Party Secretary for two consecutive terms from 2005-2010 and 2010-2015.

Inspectors have uncovered illicit activity at the Party Committee for the 2011-2016 and 2016-2021 terms associated with projects by disgraced property developer Van Thinh Phat, and packages and projects by Advanced International Company (AIC).

Hai was relieved of his position as HCMC's Secretary of the Party Committee of the 2010-2015 term in March 2020 due to violations in management and investment instructions at the Thu Thiem new urban area.

He was mainly responsible for violations committed by the city’s Party unit in leading and directing implementation of the project, inspectors said.

He signed documents that contravened the policy of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council and Vietnam’s Budget and Construction Laws.

Also on Thursday, former head of the government office Mai Tien Dung, and the secretary of the Bac Giang Party Committee Duong Van Thai, were expelled from the Party following their arrests.

The Central Party Committee said Thai and Dung had seriously violated the law and Party regulations while doing their duty in "fighting corruption."

Thai, 54, has been the secretary of Bac Giang Province since October 2020. He was arrested on May 1 for abuse of power involving bribery and bidding violations at Hanoi-based construction and real estate corporation Thuan An.

Dung was arrested on April 30 to be investigated for abuse of power related to an eco-tourism project in Lam Dong, though the exact details of the case have not been announced.