Tra Vinh Province authorities are investigating a case against a local official who was accused of abusing her position.
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| Tran Hong Ly |
Tran Hong Ly, born in 1979 was admitted into Tra Vinh Police Department after graduating in police administration and management. She is accused of illegally providing high-interest loans and threatening borrowers when they were incapable of repaying their debts. When she accused in 2002, Ly was kicked out of the police force.
Ly was recruited as a typesetter in the local Department of Planning and Investment in 2007. From 2007 to 2011, she was continually reassigned due to problems with her work and was expelled from the Communist Party. However, she still became vice head of the business and labour management office under Tra Vinh Province Economic Management Board.
A stream of letters denouncing her were sent to authorities.
From January 5 to 7, Ly held a housewarming party. It is said that this party was actually held to collect money from enterprises. Local people reported she once boasted that she had several houses and savings of VND16 billion (USD767,000).
After the party ended, Ly suddenly then attempted to vandalise the provincial administration’s offices. According to the ward police, she threw bricks at the provincial chairman's car at around 10pm that night, and used a brick to attack a police when they came to stop her. She carried on destroying the chairman's office and swore at police and security guards.
Other accusations include her of faking her achievements and claims that she received merits and titles from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Ly however has strongly denied all of the accusations. "My father held his own housewarming party. I'm just a lowly official; no one cares about bribing me."
Ly said the denouncers had little knowledge about her received awards, claiming they had been conducted via a secret ballot. She also denied the accusation that she did not abide by office regulations. "I was transferred to different positions over four years. I didn’t oppose those decisions once, did I?" she said.
In addition, Ly was accused of obstructing traffic after doing building work on her house in Luong Hoa Commune in 2012.
When the police requested her to remove her fence that encroached on the road, she said she would not remove anything and if the authorities wanted to remove the fence, they should just spend their own money.
Ly eventually had to remove the obstruction after a series of deadly traffic accidents. "We will definitely put an end to this case. We can't let people die because of such violations." Pham Thong Nhat, Party Secretary and Chairman of Luong Hoa Commune People's Committee said.
