Tomorrow (5-3), the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City will try the defendants Truong My Lan (born in 1956; Chairman of Van Thinh Phat Group Joint Stock Company) and her husband Chu Lap Co and 84 accomplices in the case at Van Thinh Phat Group Joint Stock Company, Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) and related companies, organizations and units (referred to as the Van Thinh Phat case).
From the morning of March 4, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has basically completed the arrangement of the courtroom, preparing chairs, projection screens and some other facilities for the trial session.
The court arranges seats in the hallway of the courtroom
According to the Decision to refer the case to trial, the trial panel summons more than 2,400 people with rights and obligations related to the case, which are legal entities named as borrowers or recipients of money at SCB, individuals at state-owned banks, individuals named as company representatives, borrowers, or collateralized assets at SCB; individuals belonging to the group of SCB bank officials, and other individuals with related rights and obligations.
One of the villas that were seized from Truong My Lan
Therefore, in addition to arranging two largest connected courtrooms, the court also allocates many seats in the hallway of the courtroom.
The trial session is expected to end on April 29, with the chairperson being judge Pham Luong Toan, Chief Judge of the Criminal Division of the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City. The Supreme People’s Procuracy has assigned 10 prosecutors belonging to the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy to present the case.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy has indicted the defendants on 7 charges. Among them, Truong My Lan is indicted with three charges: Bribery, Violation of regulations on banking activities, and Embezzlement. 45 former leaders and officials of SCB bank; 15 former officials of the State Bank; 3 former officials of the Government Inspectorate; one former official of the State Audit are indicted for charges related to embezzlement, bribery, abuse of authority while performing official duties, serious consequences due to irresponsibility, and violation of regulations on banking activities.
Regarding the criminal acts of Truong My Lan and the defendants in the case, the competent authorities have seized and attached a large volume of special assets, including hundreds of trillions of Vietnamese dong, 15 million USD, and thousands of real estate properties along with numerous luxury cars and yachts.
