On the morning of April 24, the trial of defendants Tran Qui Thanh, Tran Uyen Phuong, and Tran Ngoc Bich continued with the questioning of the VKS.
At the court hearing this morning, Nguyen Hoang Phu (the broker who introduced Ms. Dang Thi Kim Oanh to Mr. Tran Qui Thanh) affirmed that his testimony in court was accurate. Therefore, in yesterday afternoon’s trial, Mr. Phu denied acting as a loan broker. Mr. Phu stated that he only introduced Ms. Oanh to Mr. Thanh, an investment partner, to cooperate by transferring projects or transferring shares.
When a VKS representative asked if his statement at the CQĐT was accurate, Mr. Phu said that during the investigation, the investigator had asked many questions, so he did not remember what his statement was.
Defendant Tran Qui Thanh. Photo: Nguyen Hue |
In response to this statement, the VKS representative said that Mr. Phu’s testimony in court and at the investigating agency was different in nature. Accordingly, the VKS representative cited several of Mr. Phu’s statements to the CQĐT, including statements about acting as a broker for Mr. Lam Son Hoang and Ms. Dang Thi Kim Oanh to borrow money from Mr. Thanh.
Mr. Phu continued to affirm that he only acted as a broker for Ms. Oanh, Mr. Hoang, and Mr. Thanh. At the time, he did not know whether it was a loan or a purchase. Later, when the investigator explained, he understood it was a loan relationship.
In response to this statement, the VKS representative said that they might consider prosecuting Mr. Phu for perjury.
In response to the VKS representative’s question about the source of funds to purchase the victims’ real estate, Mr. Tran Qui Thanh said that there were transactions made by the defendant and by family members.
“Did the defendant realize that their actions constituted usurious lending, or did the defendant still believe that this was a purchase transaction?” The VKS representative asked.
Defendant Tran Qui Thanh replied, “After the VKS analysis, I realized I was wrong. I agree with the VKS’s perspective.”
In response to the same question, Defendant Tran Uyen Phuong said that she acknowledged the indictment’s allegations.
Regarding the source of funds to purchase real estate, Defendant Phuong said that some transactions were made with her own money, while other contracts signed under Mr. Thanh’s direction were made with his money.
Defendant Tran Uyen Phuong. Photo: Nguyen Hue |
The VKS stated Ms. Dang Thi Kim Oanh’s requests that the defendants be ordered to fully repay 100% of the shares of Minh Thanh Company; the entire residential and service project in An Phuoc Commune, Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province to Kim Oanh Dong Nai Company; and the entire Nhon Thanh residential project in Phuoc An Commune, Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province to Thuan Loi Company.
The documents, records, damages related to Minh Thanh Company, Minh Thanh Project, Nhon Thanh Project, and the loss of “business development opportunities” from the time of the assets’ seizure to the time of the case’s trial, are valued at 531 billion VND.
After presenting these requests, the VKS representative asked Defendant Thanh if he agreed with Ms. Oanh’s demands. Defendant Thanh requested that they be settled according to the law.
Thanh Phuong
