Prosecutors seek prison term for former Thanh Hóa vice chairman in sand mining permit case
Former Thanh Hóa vice chairman Lê Đức Giang stood trial in Hanoi on November 12 over a sand mining permit. Prosecutors allege that the authorized volume exceeded the deposit’s remaining reserves and that the company later mined nearly four times the permitted amount. Irregularities in the permit process were found to have caused losses of 5.2 billion Vietnamese dong. Prosecutors have recommended prison sentences.
On November 12, 2026, former Thanh Hóa provincial vice chairman Lê Đức Giang stood trial in Hanoi, accused of violating regulations on the management and use of state property, causing losses and waste. Also on trial in the case were Phạm Văn Hoành, a former deputy director of Thanh Hóa’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and three former staff members. The case concerns a sand mining permit for Thiên An Phát, a company registered under Nguyễn Xuân Tùng’s name.
Former Thanh Hóa vice chairman Lê Đức Giang in court.（VietVance）
Prosecutors allege that Tùng sought Giang’s help when applying for a permit to mine sand in Thiệu Tân commune, in the former Thiệu Hóa district. The relevant authorities approved the application despite numerous omissions, and Giang then signed a permit allowing the company to extract more than 147,000 cubic meters of sand, although only about 46,000 cubic meters remained in the deposit. Irregularities in the permit process were found to have caused losses of 5.2 billion Vietnamese dong. Giang admitted in court that signing the permit was a mistake but said specialist agencies were responsible for checking the application.
After obtaining the permit, the company extracted about 582,000 cubic meters of sand between April 2023 and March 2025, nearly four times the permitted volume. Mining beyond the permitted limit generated about 75 billion Vietnamese dong in revenue, of which Tùng profited by more than 8 billion dong. Giang acknowledged receiving 180 million dong from Tùng but denied taking the money in exchange for helping the company; Tùng said the permit had already been issued when he gave Giang the money.
On the afternoon of November 12, prosecutors recommended prison terms of 36 to 42 months for Giang and 30 to 36 months for Hoành. They recommended seven to nine years in prison for Tùng, plus a fine of 200 million Vietnamese dong. Tùng said he had repaid about 6 billion dong, while Giang paid 1.8 billion dong before the trial.
Source: VietVance
