Vietnam issues decisions to demolish illegal villas, including major general's

The district People’s Committee on Wednesday summoned the representatives of the families of Major General Phan Nhu Thach, former director of the Quang Nam Province Police Department; and Ngo Van Quang, director of Phuoc Minh Gold Co., Ltd., to their office to receive the decisions.

Under these decisions, the villas’ owners are fined VND22.5 million (US$1,050) each for act of illegal construction and are ordered to demolish their buildings within 35 days from the date of the decisions, February 4.

If they fail to demolish their premises, the district will use its forces to take down the building and the houses’ owner must incur all related costs, the decisions say.

As for Quang, an additional fine of VND15 million ($703) is imposed on him for randomly transforming forest land to construction land.

Meanwhile, the families of Thach and Quang have sent statements to local authorities and press agencies admitting their illegal actions and expressing their apologies for their wrongdoings.

They also appealed to competent agencies to consider allowing them to keep their buildings from being demolished.

However, if their appeals are rejected by the authorities, then they will “comply with all applicable regulations,” they said in their statements.

As previously reported, Thach’s villa is located on an area of about 4,000 square meters of forest land at the foot of Hai Van Mountain in Hiep Hoa Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District.

The huge three-storey villa, which is surrounded by a three meter-tall wall, stands out among a poor residential area.

The district authorities had earlier told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that Thach’s building is situated on land that is to be part of the Lang Van resort complex.