This morning (November 21), the first-instance trial of a case that took place at Cross-Vietnam Oil Trading, Transportation, and Tourism Company (Cross-Vietnam Oil Company) continued with the questioning of the defendants by the prosecutor and the defense attorneys.
Previously, during the questioning by the judge, defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh (Director of Cross-Vietnam Oil Company) expressed her desire to compensate for the damages with the assets belonging to the Cross-Vietnam Oil Company and those held under other people’s names.
In response to this proposal, the prosecutor asked about the assets that defendant Hanh had others hold on her behalf.
“They include a 667-square-meter villa in Mui Ne, and 3 tanker trucks worth 1-7 billion VND each, owned by the company and not mortgaged anywhere. My children have offered to turn these assets over to the investigating agency,” defendant Hanh replied.
Defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh. Photo: Dao Phuong |
Regarding the bribery charges involving 8 defendants – including: Do Thang Hai (former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade); Le Duc Tho (former Secretary of Ben Tre Province); Nguyen Loc An (former Deputy Head of the Domestic Market Department – Ministry of Industry and Trade); Hoang Anh Tuan (former Deputy Head of the Domestic Market Department); Tran Duy Dong (former Head of the Domestic Market Department); Le Duy Minh (former Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department); Phan Kien Anh (former Director of Nghi Son Refinery Product Distribution Branch); and Dang Cong Khoi (former Deputy Chief of the Price Management Department, Ministry of Finance) – Ms. Hanh affirmed that she voluntarily confessed without being forced or tortured.
Defendant Hanh also stated that as an investor, her primary goal was to bring benefits to the company, especially in the context of scarce goods or when expanding business relationships, which is why she resorted to bribery.
“Bribery is not just about giving money; it also requires tact and choosing the right occasions to create opportunities for meetings. Even though I was giving away money, I had to choose holidays or special events as excuses to meet these individuals,” defendant Hanh explained.
When asked about her relationship with defendant Le Duc Tho, she replied that they considered each other as family.
 The defendants in court. Photo: Dao Phuong |
According to the case file, the investigating agency is temporarily holding 470,000 USD seized from Mr. Le Duc Tho. Defendant Hanh stated that this amount was her personal savings, unrelated to the offense. Therefore, she hoped to use this money to compensate for the damages caused by the case.
Regarding the withdrawal of 219 billion VND from the gasoline and oil price stabilization fund, defendant Hanh admitted her mistake in not opening a designated account as required by law to receive the fund, instead using a regular account. This action prevented the bank from managing and tracking her use of the fund.
Defendant Hanh acknowledged that she had used the aforementioned 219 billion VND for real estate investment and business.
On the charge of failing to pay 1,244 billion VND in environmental taxes that the company was entrusted to collect, defendant Hanh affirmed that she did not intentionally delay the payment. This amount was accumulated over a period of 3 months. However, in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating gasoline and oil prices, and social distancing measures, the company’s gasoline and oil business suffered losses. Cross-Vietnam Oil Company no longer had the financial capacity and had to resort to using the fund and environmental tax money.
Thanh Phuong
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