Dak Lak officials face jail over largest-ever deforestation case

The Dak Lak Provincial People's Court has just issued jail sentences to 14 local officials for their violations and wrongdoings in the largest-ever deforestation case reported so far in the central highland province.

The defendants at the court on June 14. Photo by Tienphong.

At the court's first-instance trial that opened on June 14, former chairman of the Ya To Mot Commune People's Committee, Dang Cong Tao, and former officer of the commune's land office, Hoang Ngoc Anh, were both sentenced to two years in prison for abusing their position and power while on duty.

12 other local state officers were also given jail sentences of between nine months and three years for charges of abusing their position and power while on duty; lacking responsibility and causing serious consequences; and forest destruction.

According to the court, Dak Lak Police found that over 411 hectares of forest had been destroyed in Ya To Mot Commune in Ea Sup District in March 2022.

The defendants were found to have been involved in deforestation activities in different areas of Ya To Mot Commune, with an aim to illegally occupy forest land.

The destroyed forest was part of the forest areas under the management of the commune administration since 2020.

All the defendants pleaded guilty.