Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Loc Yen Commune in Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province, has been prosecuted and temporarily detained after over 200 tons of cement - provided by the province to build rural roads - was left outdoors and became unusable.

On the morning of June 10, the Economic Police Division of Ha Tinh Provincial Police announced it had initiated criminal proceedings and detained Nguyen Van Hung for “violating regulations on the management and use of state assets, causing loss and waste.”

Previously, on May 17, Thai Phuc Son, Chairman of Huong Khe District People’s Committee, signed a decision to suspend Hung from duty for 15 days to investigate his responsibility in the case. The cement, part of a rural development support program, had been left out in the open and severely damaged.

In 2024, Loc Yen Commune received over 300 tons of Song Lam PCB 40 cement under Ha Tinh Province’s rural road construction support policy.

However, instead of storing it properly, the commune piled the cement in the open at the Binh Phuc village sports field, right next to a waterlogged area. As a result, much of the cement hardened due to prolonged exposure and became unusable.

Hung explained that under Resolution 24 of the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee, the commune was allocated funding in 2024 to purchase 1,000 tons of cement for rural road projects.

“The province provided funding so the commune could organize a bidding process for cement supply. But the bidding took a long time - price assessment wasn’t completed until August 2024, and the e-bidding wasn’t finalized until the end of October,” he said.

Hung added that Hai Anh Company, based in Huong Khe, won the contract with a bid of over VND 1 billion (approximately USD 41,500), pricing each ton of cement at VND 1,059,000 (around USD 44).

“The delivery coincided with the end of the year - peak rainy season. By December 31, 2024, the supplier had no warehouse to store the material, so the commune had no choice but to stack it at the sports field. Otherwise, we would have lost the support, as the policy was only valid through the end of 2024,” Hung said.

He further explained that the contractor assigned to the project experienced family emergencies, and local manpower was insufficient. These issues delayed construction, leading to the cement's deterioration.

Hai Sam