HCMC - Nguyen Thanh Binh, former chairman of An Giang Province, has been accused of accepting bribes totaling US$300,000 to facilitate illegal sand mining by Trung Hau Investment JSC.

The Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security said on December 11 that charges had been filed against 44 individuals for violations linked to Trung Hau Investment JSC, the An Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and other related entities. Tran Thanh Binh faces charges of abusing his position and authority while performing official duties. Tran Anh Thu, former vice chairman of An Giang; and Nguyen Viet Tri, former director of the An Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, is charged with accepting bribes. Le Quang Binh, chairman of Trung Hau Investment JSC, is charged with giving bribes, violating regulations on research, exploration, and exploitation of resources, and laundering money. In early 2020, the People's Committee of An Giang Province was preparing to award a sand mining contract in My Hiep and Binh Phuoc Xuan communes to supply sand for a project connecting National Highway 91 and the Long Xuyen bypass. Le Quang Binh met with Nguyen Thanh Binh and other leaders to request a permit for Trung Hau Investment. Despite knowing that Trung Hau 68 Company did not meet the requirements, Binh and other officials colluded with Le Quang Binh, either directly or by instructing subordinates to approve the permit for the company. Beyond mining for the approved projects, Le Quang Binh directed employees to sell sand to individual customers, bypassing the permit. From December 2021 to July 2023, Trung Hau mined over five million cubic meters of sand, but only 1.3 million cubic meters were delivered to the approved projects. The remaining sand was sold, generating nearly VND294 billion in illicit profit. Between January 2022 and May 2023, Le Quang Binh visited An Giang Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh six times, giving him US$300,000. He also gave VND961 million to vice chairman Thu and VND3.1 billion to Tri.