Police search house of Da Nang's tycoon linked to land management violations

Police in Da Nang on Thursday searched the house of a local real estate tycoon rumored to be linked to land management violations in the city.

At around 6 p.m., police officers were found standing guard outside the house of Phan Van Anh Vu on Tran Quoc Toan Street while another group of officers searched the property.

Within an hour, locals started gathering outside the house, forcing traffic police to step in to ensure traffic order.

Police officers and locals outside Vu's house during the search. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong.

The search was being conducted by officers from the Ministry of Public Security with assistance from local forces, according to Colonel Le Van Tam, head of Da Nang police.

Police officers left the house at 9:15 p.m. together with two cars bearing government license plates, and the crowd outside soon dispersed. It is unclear whether Vu was in one of the cars. 

Following the search, all posts and pictures on Vu's Facebook, except for his profile picture, have disappeared.

A day earlier, at a meeting between Da Nang's Party chief Truong Quang Nghia and war veterans, many questioned Nghia whether Vu had influenced local authorities' decisions regarding land management.

Another also asked for clarification on rumors that Vu had once threatened to have the city's chairman fired for not following his orders, to which Nghia claimed the Ministry of Public Security has been instructed to investigate the case.

Vu, 42, is one of Da Nang's major real estate tycoons. He is the chairman of Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC, Nova Bac Nam 79 JSC and The Sunrise Bay Da Nang Project, as well as a shareholder in many other projects in the city.

Vu was first linked to land management issues in Da Nang in 2013 when the Government Inspectorate launched an inspection that found his companies responsible for multiple violations. However the city's government at the time immediately issued a reply, dismissing the conclusions by the Government Inspectorate as unfounded.