Tightening security in front of the courthouse.
This morning (March 5), the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court began to hear the first-instance trial of the irregularities that occurred at Vang Thinh Phat Group, Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) and related units.
Since early morning, security forces have organized roadblocks and controlled access to the court. Press reporters were asked to stand 20m away from the court gate.
To prepare for this trial, the functional agencies have previously transported Ms. Truong My Lan (former Chairman of Vang Thinh Phat Group) and some defendants who are temporarily detained at some temporary detention houses. of the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense and in localities: Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Bac Giang, Hung Yen to Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, where first-instance hearings are heard in the case of Vang Thinh Phat.
Defendant Truong My Lan is being tried on 3 charges of “bribery”, “violations of regulations on bank operations” and “embezzlement of assets”.
Ms. Truong My Lan (left cover) and accomplices.
60 defendants are former leaders, officials of SCB and the State Bank (SBV); 3 former officials of the Government Inspectorate and 1 former official of the State Audit Office are being tried on charges of “embezzlement of assets”, “acceptance of bribery”, “abuse of position and power while performing public functions”, “serious consequences caused by irresponsibility” and “violations of regulations on bank operations”.
3,000 people participating in the trial
Image in front of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court gate
On the afternoon of March 4, speaking to the press, Mr. Pham Ngoc Duy, Chief of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court Office, said that all the preparations for the trial had been completed. Accordingly, the judging panel will work in Courtroom A. This is also where the representative of the Prosecutor’s Office participates in the working session. The 81 defendants are also arranged in this courtroom.
Lawyers, stakeholders will sit in Courtroom B and the gap between Courtroom A and Courtroom B, monitor the proceedings through a screen transmitted from Courtroom A.
Courtroom of the case of Vang Thinh Phat.
Meanwhile, some press reporters will follow the trial through a screen from an office within the court premises. The rest follow through the screen transmitted from the courtroom to the Ho Chi Minh City Press Center (outside the court). The press and lawyers will be provided with computers for use and operation by the court.
The trial panel chaired by Judge Pham Luong Toan, Chief Judge of the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Court. The judging panel (JP) besides Judge Pham Luong Toan also includes Judge Le Cong Huan and 3 people’s jury. The trial is expected to last until April 29.
At the trial, the Supreme People’s Procuracy has assigned 10 procuracy officials from the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy to exercise the right to prosecution. There are 200 lawyers defending the defendants and protecting the rights of the victims. The HPDXX Board also summoned more than 2,400 related persons, including: Group of individuals who are individuals in the SCB group (316 people), related person group is individuals named company, named borrower and named assets pledged at SCB for money withdrawal, deposit (1153 people), a group of legal entities belonging to the group named borrowers, received money at SCB (692 people), a group of individuals at the State Bank (42 people) and another related group (201 people).
Courtroom of the case of Vang Thinh Phat.
The HDPXX also decided to summon some interpreters who were assigned by defendant Chu Nap Kee Eric (husband of Ms. Truong My Lan) who is a Chinese national.
The victims in the case are SCB and defendant Truong My Lan. Specifically, Ms. Lan is affected by the act of “Abusing credit for misappropriation of assets” by Mr. Nguyen Cao Tri (also a defendant) with the act of misappropriating 1,000 billion VND.
5 lawyers including: Phan Trung Hoai, Phan Minh Hoang, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Giang Hong Thanh and Truong Thanh Duc defended Ms. Truong My Lan.
Damage 667.286 trillion VND
According to the case file, defendant Truong My Lan did not hold a position at SCB but is the main shareholder and has used SCB as a personal capital mobilization channel. Ms. Lan has taken advantage of the situation to withdraw money from the deposit accounts of individuals and customers.
The consequences from the improper actions and receipt of money from individuals in Section II, SBV Branch in Ho Chi Minh City and the Supervision Team allowed the Vang Thinh Phat Group and SCB to carry out year-on-year progressive loans. This action aims to create conditions for Ms. Truong My Lan to withdraw money for personal use or repay previous loans in order to conceal the actual operations and bad debt situation of SCB.
The damage of the case as of October 17, 2022 with a particularly large amount. The total debt of organizations and individuals belonging to Ms. Truong My Lan’s group amounted to 677.286 trillion VND. Ms. Lan has misappropriated more than 304,000 billion VND, causing SCB to lose not only the principal amount but also to pay more than 129,372 billion VND in interest.
Trials in absentia 5 defendants
According to the HPDXX, at the trial today, the HDPXX will try 86 defendants, of which 5 fugitives will be tried in absentia. These people all have lawyers to defend.
The absent defendants, including: Dinh Van Thanh (former Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors). According to the indictment, since 2009, Mr. Thanh has worked at Dien Hai Commercial Joint Stock Bank (one of the 3 precursor banks of SCB). Then, Mr. Thanh went through positions: Deputy General Director, Deputy Chairman of the First Joint Stock Bank’s Board of Directors; Member of the Board of Directors, Deputy Permanent Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SCB.
From June 28, 2012 to December 6, 2020, Mr. Thanh in the role of Chairman of the Hanoi Stock Exchange Headquarters, Chairman/Authorized to act as Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors signed 4 minutes of meetings /memos of the Headquarters, 328 minutes. Board meeting / voting ballot, 273 resolutions to agree to 268 customers who are individuals, legal entities in the Vang Thinh Phat ecosystem to borrow 479 loans.
As of October 17, 2022, the outstanding loans of the above customer group were over 422,000 trillion VND. Mr. Thanh is accused of having taken advantage of his position and power to actively assist and directly participate in the act of “embezzlement of assets” and “violations of banking operation regulations, other banking-related activities”. Mr. Thanh is being tried on 2 charges mentioned above with the damage caused being over 99,000 billion VND.
The remaining 4 defendants are being tried in absentia for the charge of “violations of banking operation regulations, other banking-related activities”. Among them, defendant Nguyen Thi Thu Suong (former Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors) caused damage to SCB of nearly 7,000 billion VND. Defendant Tram Thich Ton (former member of SCB’s Board of Directors), causing damage to SCB of over 7,100 billion VND. Defendant Chiem Minh Dung (former Deputy General Director of SCB), causing damage of over 140,000 billion VND and Nguyen Lam Anh Vu (former Deputy Director of SCB’s Ben Thanh Branch), causing damage of over 3,700 billion VND.
Causing many damages, how many can be overcome?
According to the file, Ms. Truong My Lan has misappropriated 304,000 billion VND, causing damage of 193,000 billion VND. However, the indictment states that so far, Ms. Lan has not made restitution. Ms. Lan’s husband, defendant Chu Lap Co, has temporarily paid 1 billion VND.
Place to keep 6 tons of case files at the Court.
It is worth noting that the former officials of the SBV have all paid restitution. Specifically, defendant Nguyen Van Hung (former Deputy Chief Inspector of the SBV) paid $ 390,000; defendant Nguyen Thi Phung (former Deputy Director of the Inspectorate) paid $ 20,000 and 210 million VND; defendant Bui Tuan Khoa (former Deputy Director of the Inspectorate) returned 100 million VND; defendant Vuong Do Anh Tuan (former Head of the Inspectorate Department) returned $ 20,000; defendant Tran Van Tuan (former Inspector) returned 6,000 USD and 40 million VND; Le Thanh Ha (former Deputy Chief Inspector, auditor) returned 14,000 USD and 100 million VND; defendant Nguyen Van Thuy (former Deputy Head of the Inspection Board) returned 21,000 USD and 60 million VND; defendant Nguyen Tuan Anh (former official of the Inspection Department) returned 100 million VND; defendant Vu Khanh Linh (former Deputy Head of the Inspectorate Department) returned 100 million VND; defendant Truong Viet Hung (former Inspector) returned 600 USD; defendant Nguyen Duy Phuong (former Inspector) returned 1,000 USD and 20 million VND; defendant Nguyen Van Dung (former Deputy Director of SBV, Ho Chi Minh City branch) paid 15,000 USD and 400 million VND; defendant Nguyen Thi Phi Loan (former Deputy Chief Inspectorate, supervision) paid 470 million VND; defendant Vu Van Thuan (former Deputy Chief Inspectorate, supervision) paid 1.85 billion VND; defendant Nguyen Tin (former Inspector) paid 500 million VND; defendant Phan Tan Trung (former Deputy Chief Inspectorate, supervision) paid 554 VND million and defendant Do Thi Nhan (former Inspectorate Director, supervision) to pay the sum of US $ 4.8 million and 10 savings books with an amount of over VND 10 billion.
Tiền Phong will continuously update trial developments on tienphong.vn and Tiền Phong newspaper published daily …
