Le Duc Vinh was dismissed from his position as Khanh Hoa's chairman for the term 2016-2021, and retroactively as the province's vice chairman for the 2011-2016 term.

In the decision issued Friday, the PM also dismissed Dao Cong Thien as the province's vice chairman for the term 2016-2021, retroactively stripped Nguyen Chien Thang of his position as the province's chairman for 2011-2016, and issued an official warning to the province's former vice chairman Tran Son Hai.

The central province of Khanh Hoa is home to the popular resort town of Nha Trang and major naval port of Cam Ranh.

The government's drastic punishments against Vinh, Thien and Thang were handed down after the Party Secretariat, the Communist Party's executive body, stripped the three of all Party positions last month.

According to the Secretariat, the three officials had committed "very serious" violations that, when combined those committed by the Party units they were leading, resulted in "especially serious" consequences including massive losses to the state's land, property and budget, while affecting national defense and security.

Vinh, Thang and Thien were found to have directly signed many of the Khanh Hoa Party unit’s and the People's Committee’s documents on land, project construction and investment that "very seriously" violated party regulations and the law.

The violations committed by the three senior officials have led to many consequences that are difficult to resolve, caused public discontent and negatively affected the reputation of the local government and Party unit to a degree that merits strict punishment in accordance with regulations, the Party secretariat had ruled.

Vietnam's has four modes of punishment against public officials: reprimand, warning, demotion (dismissal from termed positions) and dismissal from service.

A sweeping corruption crackdown spearheaded by Party chief and President Nguyen Phu Trong has snared scores of high-profile officials over the last three years. Many high-ranking officials, including a former vice defense minister, were held responsible for land management violations recently.