On November 18, the Ho Chi Minh City High-Level People’s Court continued the appellate trial for defendant Truong My Lan, former chairman of Van Thinh Phat Group, and 47 accomplices. These defendants had appealed the first-instance verdict of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court (phase 1).
At the hearing, the defense lawyers and the defendants directly rebutted the prosecutorial arguments presented by the representative of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Prosecutor’s Office of the High People’s Court. The discussions focused on clarifying mitigating circumstances, the specific responsibilities of each defendant, and the legal issues raised by the prosecution during the examination phase.
 Defendants in Court |
Defendant Bui Anh Dung, former chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), was among those obligated to carry out the sentence, and thus, the first-instance verdict ordered the continued seizure of his assets.
The defense lawyer for defendant Bui Anh Dung, former chairman of SCB, stated that his client wished to correct information regarding a Tet bonus of VND 40 billion (approximately USD 1.6 million) that he had previously declared during the first-instance trial. According to the lawyer, the actual amount was VND 4 billion (approximately USD 160,000), given as a gift by Ms. Truong My Lan. Specifically, Mr. Dung received VND 2 billion (approximately USD 80,000) annually, but due to psychological distress, tension, and old age, the defendant misstated this amount during the initial trial.
Defendant Truong My Lan |
The lawyer also argued that, given the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was “unreasonable” for Ms. Lan to have awarded a bonus of VND 40 billion. He requested that the council consider this factor to clarify the nature of the case.
Additionally, the lawyer stated that, to date, defendant Dung and his family have used all their assets to compensate for the damages, totaling more than VND 12 billion (approximately USD 504,000). Based on this, the lawyer requested the council to reject the requirement for Mr. Dung to return the Tet bonus of VND 35 billion (approximately USD 1.46 million) as ordered in the first-instance verdict.
Furthermore, the lawyer expressed his hope that the defendant would receive a term sentence instead of the life imprisonment declared by the lower court, allowing him to reunite with his family sooner.
Following the lawyers’ arguments, defendant Bui Anh Dung began his supplementary defense by apologizing to defendant Truong My Lan.
“I apologize to Ms. Lan. Through the defense arguments and the examination process, both at the first-instance and appellate trials, I realized that Ms. Lan has made tremendous efforts to support SCB in restructuring the bank, and everyone has contributed to maintaining the bank’s existence.
I am deeply remorseful for my actions, which have impacted others. As a salaried employee, I was not involved in or allowed to intervene in important business decisions” – stated defendant Dung.
Y Linh, Image: Hoang Trieu
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