Hanoi (VNA) - My Duc district’sPolice in Hanoi have announced they were prosecuting 14 former officialsof the district and of Dong Tam commune.

The officials were allegedlyinvolved in land violations in the commune.

The accused will appear incourt this month, facing charges of "abusing power while onduty" and "irresponsibility causing serious consequence.”

The accused include a formercommune People’s Committee chairman, People’s Council chairman, commune PartyCommittee secretary and head of the commune’s Police, as well as head of thedistrict’s Environment Division and officials of the district’s LandRegistration Office.

According to the indictment,between 2002 and 2013, the commune officials illegally allocated and grantedland to some local households.

The district officials wereallegedly irresponsible while verifying the origin of the land and grantedland-use certificates unlawfully.

The violations of theofficials were detected and investigated following complaints from residents.

Dong Tam commune madeheadlines in local media for a land scandal in late March and mid-Aprilwhen 38 civil servants and some police personnel were held hostage by thecommune’s residents.

Theresidents were protesting what they considered was unjustified revoking of 50acres of land where they’d built homes and lived for many years.

Astensions escalated in March, police opened an investigation against theresidents for "disturbing social order."

Matterscame to a head on April 15, when police arrested four people. Localvillagers retaliated by surrounding and seizing 38 officials, including policeofficers.-VNA