Five Directors Prosecuted for Forging Documents to Buy Social Housing in Phu Tho

Five directors and their associates in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, have been prosecuted for forging documents to illegally purchase social housing units. The group is accused of exploiting the social housing policy for illicit profits. On September 14, Phu Tho Provincial Police announced that the National Security Investigation Agency had initiated two criminal cases and prosecuted five individuals for the crime of forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations. The defendants include Nguyen Van Hieu, 48, Director of HM Vietnam Investment Co., Ltd.; Tran Trong Duc, 47, Director of Duc Nhat Vina Co., Ltd.; Pham Thi Thuy, 35, a real estate broker; Dam Dinh Manh, 35, Director of CTT Construction Joint Stock Company; and Nguyen Thi Huong, 38, accountant for Duy Manh Construction Investment Joint Stock Company. According to the police, the two groups of defendants took advantage of the policy to promote social housing development by forging application documents for social housing in an 11-story area within a urban housing project in Khai Quang and Lien Bao wards. The forged documents included certificates confirming eligibility for social housing policies, income condition verification, and employment contracts from companies in industrial zones. Authorities allege that these forged applications were used to purchase and own social housing units, subsequently generating illicit profits from buyers. Initial investigations confirmed that Hieu and Duc forged numerous documents in two social housing applications. In another case, Thuy is accused of colluding with Manh and Huong to forge documents for 10 social housing applications. The police stated that these violations directly affected the legitimate rights of those genuinely in need of social housing in the province. The government's push for social housing development in Vietnam has been met with such fraudulent schemes, exploiting the system for personal gain. Source: VnExpress