Ousted Yangon chief minister U Hla Soe, former Yangon economic affairs minister U Aung Than Oo, and Secretary Soe Soe Zaw have been charged under the Anti-Corruption law. The two ministers were only recently appointed to their posts after the military takeover.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) announced on June 15 that ousted Yangon Region Chief Minister Hla Soe, former economic affairs minister Aung Than Oo, and Secretary Soe Soe Zaw from Yangon Region Government Committee were charged under Anti-Corruption Law.
The ACC had formed the investigation commission aiming to inspect the complaints against former Yangon Region Chief Minister Hla Soe and former economic affairs minister Aung Than Oo.
According to the investigation reports, the former Yangon Region Chief Minister and ex-economic affairs minister failed to follow the President’s Office Notification No 1/2017 in selling the lands between 22-6-2021 and 21-1-2021 under the decision of the Yangon Region Land Management Committee meeting. Moreover, they allowed reducing the township wise current prices set by the regions’ Internal Revenue Department.
The country faced losses of over K38,000 million for 262 acres of nine plots of land in Shwepyitha, Dagon Myothit (Seikkan), Dagon Myothit (North), Dagon Myothit (South), Dala and Thingangyun town- ships. Such acts also violated the existing law, rules and regulations and caused losses to the State budget.
In a similar manner, Secretary Soe Soe Zaw served as a government land management committee member and did not report about the reduced land prices in applying for land and setting land plots prices and he proposed to relocate the land by contacting the permitted land buyers directly and participated in activities that caused losses to the State budget.
Former chief minister of Yangon Region U Hla Soe took a bribe of Ks 250 million in five tranches from ex-economic affairs minister Aung Than Oo in permitting government lands.
Similarly, Yangon Region former economic affairs minister Aung Than Oo took a bribe of Ks 500 million in six tranches from a construction company owner in applying for the land plots. He also failed to open a deposit account at the Myanma Economic Bank in accordance with Notification 58/2019 of the Union Government Office in collecting more than Ks 950 million from eight permitted persons for vacant and virgin lands, three persons for government lands and other person for Cooperate Social Responsibility-CSR and he deposited the money to two accounts opened under his name at Myanmar Apex Bank (MAB) and kept the checks.
Such doings did not conform with the existing law, rules, regulations and procedures and it caused losses to the State budget. Secretary Soe Soe Zaw proposed to the regional government for the application of more than 32 acres of land plots in Dagon Myothit (North) Township under a certain name of a retired person in August 2021, helping to reduce the land prices and CRS payments, agreed to give 20 per cent to him from the profits of land sale after getting the land grant. Such activities underscored his attempts to take bribes by misusing his power.
As such, the ACC is now planning to charge Yangon Region former Chief Minister Hla Soe, former economic affairs minister Aung Than Oo to open the files against Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law at the relevant police stations on June 14. Secretary Soe Soe Zaw was also charged under Section 55/63 and Section 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law at the respective police station in Yangon Region.
