Three people in Ho Chi Minh City have been prosecuted for forging documents purportedly issued by the city People’s Committee to swindle two property developers out of nearly US$1 million.
Colonel Pham Hung Chien, deputy head of the Department for Investigation of Economic Management and Position-related Crimes, identified them as Nguyen Quy, 32, of Phu Nhuan District, his sister Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh, 28, and their accomplice Chu Van Pho, 35.
They have been charged with “swindling to appropriate assets.”
The two men have been arrested and will be in custody for four months, while Ms. Minh has been let out on bail since she has a baby aged under three.
In November 2007 Mr. Quy, who was unemployed, asked Mr. Pho, a property broker, to help him obtain licenses to develop three high-grade office buildings and apartments.
One was on Vo Van Tan Street and the two others on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street. Mr. Quy reportedly hoped to transfer them to developers for a profit.
For the purpose, Mr Quy set up Kien Minh Co., Ltd. in Phu Nhuan District in his sister’s name. Mr. Pho helped him send a license application to some central agencies in Hanoi and the HCMC People’s Committee.
The People Committee’s replied that the project on Vo Van Tan Street had already been licensed to someone else but the two others were still under consideration.
But in December 2007 Mr. Quy allegedly offered to sell the Vo Van Tan Street project for 13,000 taels of gold to both HCMC-based An Hoa Joint Stock Co. and Hanoi Import-Export Co.
To convince them, the two men allegedly showed a document purportedly from the HCMC People’s Committee inviting Kien Minh to a meeting to discuss the project.
They allegedly produced another document later saying the city authorities had approved Kien Minh as the project investor.
An Hoa paid a deposit of VND1 billion (about US$58,000) to Kien Minh and Hanoi Import-Export Co VND5 billion.
But later the two companies suspected deceit and filed a police complaint.
The authorities are expanding their investigation to find out if any other companies were cheated.
