Former trade official stands trial for power abuse in renewable energy case
VOV.VN - Former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong and 11 other defendants stood trial in Hanoi on April 21 for their wrongdoing regarding a renewable energy case that had caused an estimated loss of more than VND1,000 to the State.
Vuong was prosecuted on charges of “Abusing position and power while performing official duties.”
Meanwhile, Phuong Hoang Kim, former director general of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with 10 other defendants, were also prosecuted for “Abusing position and power while performing official duties” and “Lack of responsibility causing serious consequences.”
Approximately 40 lawyers have registered to defend their defendants. The trial at the Hanoi People’s Court is expected to last nine days.
According to the indictment, during his tenure as Deputy Minister from August 31, 2018, to April 6, 2020, Vuong was assigned to oversee the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority and directly directed the drafting of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 13/2020/QĐ-TTg.
While performing his duties, Vuong was well aware of the Government’s policies and the Prime Minister’s directives in meetings regarding support mechanisms and policies for solar power projects in Ninh Thuan province.
However, he was accused of acting with personal gain in mind, having received VND1.5 billion (approx. US$60,000) from the head of the Trung Nam – Thuan Nam company that specialises in energy among others. Vượng allegedly directed the drafting of Decision No. 13 in a way that expanded the eligibility for preferential electricity pricing and supported the inclusion of the Trung Nam – Thuan Nam solar power plant in the national power development plan. He also pushed for the project to receive a fixed preferential price of 9.35 US cents/kWh.
His abuse of power and violation of official duty allegedly caused a loss of over VND1,043 billion (approx. US$42 million) to Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).
As for Phuong Hoang Kim, during his tenure as director general of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority from August 31, 2012, to April 6, 2020, he was assigned as head of the drafting team for Decision No. 13.
Although Kim was fully aware of the Government’s policies and the Prime Minister’s guidance, he intentionally sought to create unfair advantages for the Trung Nam – Thuan Nam solar power project to be included in the planning and receive the preferential pricing.
Kim was accused of failing to ensure that the drafting complied with Resolution 115 and the Prime Minister’s directions; not reporting the inconsistencies of the draft to the Ministry’s leadership; and directly proposing the inclusion of preferential pricing for the Trung Nam – Thuan Nam solar project.
The prosecutors consider the violations by Vuong, Kim, and other individuals as extremely serious, stating that they undermined the credibility and integrity of state management bodies, eroded public trust, and caused significant financial damage to the State. They therefore proposed strict legal action against these defendants in accordance with the law.
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