This afternoon (March 19), the first instance trial of the HCMC People’s Court, handling the case at Van Thinh Phat Group, Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB), and related units, the representative of the Prosecutor’s Office continued to present their viewpoint on the civil settlement and proposed sentences for 86 defendants.
The mastermind of the case, defendant Truong My Lan at the trial on March 19. Photo: Duy Anh.
Proposed “permanent isolation from society” for 2 former Chairmen and 1 former General Director of SCB
In the morning charge statement, after proposing the most severe sentence for defendant Truong My Lan (former Chairman of Van Thinh Phat Group) as “to be removed from society”, the Prosecutor’s Office switched to present their view on the defendants who used to be leaders of SCB.
A corner of the courtroom. Photo: Duy Anh.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, in this case, the defendants from SCB are the ones who actively helped Truong My Lan embezzle a large amount of money from SCB.
Among them, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, defendant Dinh Van Thanh (former Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors) has been on the run and is being tried in absentia. During the time in office as Chairman of the Board of Directors, he actively helped Truong My Lan create fraudulent loan documents, withdraw money from SCB, causing significant damage. From June 28, 2012 to October 19, 2017, the defendant Thanh legalized 174 loan files, causing SCB a loss of VND 42,770 billion.
From February 9, 2018 to December 6, 2020, Thanh legalized 305 loan files, actively assisting Truong My Lan in embezzling VND 189,000 billion, causing a loss of VND 99,700 billion.
Former Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors, Bui Anh Dung, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, from April 10, 2013 to December 4, 2020, Dung legalized 404 loan files, causing SCB a loss of VND 187,600 billion; from December 9, 2020 to September 22, 2022, defendant Bui Anh Dung legalized 207 loan files, actively assisting Truong My Lan in embezzling VND 104,200 billion, causing a loss of VND 26,300 billion.
Former Chairman of SCB’s Board of Directors – defendant Bui Anh Dung at the trial. Photo: Duy Anh.
Defendant Vo Tan Hoang Van (former General Director of SCB), according to the Prosecutor’s Office, actively helped Truong My Lan withdraw money from SCB. From November 18, 2013 to December 11, 2017, Van legalized 290 loan files, causing a loss of VND 60,500 billion. From February 9, 2018 to July 25, 2020, defendant Van legalized 348 loan files, actively assisting Truong My Lan in embezzling VND 192,000 billion and causing a loss of VND 101,200 billion in interest.
Former member of SCB’s Board of Directors, defendant Ta Chieu Trung, from June 27, 2014 to October 19, 2017, legalized 97 loan files, causing a loss of VND 37,400 billion; from February 9, 2018 to March 29, 2018, he legalized 9 loan files, actively assisting Truong My Lan in embezzling VND 4,400 billion and causing a loss of VND 4,773 billion in principal and interest.
In addition, defendants Truong Khanh Hoang (former Deputy General Director of SCB) and Tran Thi My Dung (former Deputy General Director of SCB), according to the Prosecutor’s Office, also committed wrongdoings by assisting Truong My Lan, causing damage to SCB.
Except for the defendant Dinh Van Thanh who is on the run, the Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged that defendants Dung, Van, Trung, Dung, and Hoang have sincerely confessed, admitted their criminal acts, remorsefully pleaded, cooperated with investigative agencies to clarify the case and influenced their relatives to remedy the consequences. These defendants have also committed crimes for two or more times and caused significant damage, which are aggravating factors of their criminal liability.
Based on these observations, the Prosecutor’s Office considers that it is necessary to “permanently isolate them from society” for defendants Dung, Thanh, Trung, Van, Hoang, and Dung.
