The Hanoi Party Committee has requested individuals, departments, andsectors involved in the misdeeds committed by Chau Thi Thu Nga comeforward to claim any responsibility and work to rectify any acts ofwrongdoing.

Chau Thi Thu Nga, a National Assemblydeputy from Hanoi, was suspended by the National Assembly StandingCommittee (13 th tenure) for alleged housing project fraud on January7. She is being detained for further investigation.

At a press conference hosted by the Hanoi Party Committee’sPopularisation and Education Board on January 13, Deputy Head of theBoard Phan Dang Long reported that in October 2014 the Party delegationnamed the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department ofNatural Resources and Construction among the units involved in Nga’salleged swindling acts.

Initial investigationsrevealed Nga, Chairwoman of the Land and Housing Construction andInvestment JSC (Housing Group), collected over 377 billion VND (17.6million USD) from investors for housing projects which had not yet beenapproved by the Hanoi People’s Committee nor granted a constructionlicense. She has yet to refund the investors.

Following the findings, on January 7 the investigation police underthe Ministry of Public Security filed criminal proceedings against Ngaon a charge of “swindling to appropriate assets”, in accordance withArticle 139 of the Criminal Code.

Atthe press conference, Phan Dang Long affirmed Hanoi has taken proactivemeasures to prevent these acts from reoccurring, including instructingrelevant agencies and localities to work to safeguard the interests ofhomebuyers and to reinforce the supremacy of the law.-VNA