The Final Verdict: Unraveling the Fate of Truong My Lan and Her Accomplices

Former Director Đỗ Thị Nhàn fears she may never return to her family

Today (November 27), the appellate council for the first phase of the Vạn Thịnh Phát, Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB), and related entities trial entered the deliberation phase. The council will announce the verdict on December 3.

At yesterday’s hearing, after Trương Mỹ Lan (Chairman of Vạn Thịnh Phát Corporation) gave her final statement, the remaining defendants were given a chance to speak.

Defendant Đỗ Thị Nhàn, former Director of Inspection and Supervision at the State Bank of Vietnam, expressed that the past few days had been excruciating for her. The first-instance verdict was extremely harsh, and she feared she might never return to her family. She and her family have always contributed to society to the best of their abilities.

Nhàn expressed gratitude and apologies to her husband, children, and extended family. She earnestly pleaded for leniency from the council and the prosecution, hoping that all applicable regulations would be considered to reduce her sentence and give her the motivation to continue living.

In the first-instance verdict by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, Đỗ Thị Nhàn was sentenced to life imprisonment for “Taking Bribes.” She was accused of receiving $5.2 million from Trương Mỹ Lan and, in return, directing her subordinates to issue an inaccurate inspection conclusion report and covering up SCB’s violations.

Nhàn appealed for a reduced sentence, but during the appellate trial, the prosecutor recommended that the council uphold the original verdict and sentence.

In her final statement, defendant Trương Huệ Vân (Trương Mỹ Lan’s niece) expressed her deep gratitude to the prosecution, the council, the lawyers, the prison staff, and the escort team for their support throughout the process.

During the trial, Vân said she had heard the terms ‘shell company’ and ‘withdrawing money for embezzlement’ used repeatedly, which she believed were highly unethical. She requested that the terms ‘debt restructuring’ and ‘debt swapping’ be included to provide a more nuanced perspective and lessen the moral judgment.

Defendant Trương Huệ Vân, CEO of Windsor Property Management Corporation, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for “Embezzlement” by the first-instance court. She appealed, and the prosecutor recommended that the appellate council reduce her sentence to 14-15 years.

Speaking from the defendant’s podium, Chu Lập Cơ (husband of Trương Mỹ Lan ) shared that he had been in Vietnam since 1990 and, over the past 34 years, had trained many young people to serve the country and brought hundreds of thousands of tourists to his wife’s homeland.

Cơ also stated that he had only loaned money to Trương Mỹ Lan for the restructuring of SCB but now found himself a defendant in the trial.

Regarding his wife, Cơ expressed that they accepted the council’s decision. He pleaded for leniency and the lowest possible sentence for his wife.

In the first-instance verdict by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, Chu Lập Cơ was sentenced to nine years in prison. He appealed for a reduced sentence, and the prosecutor accepted his appeal, recommending that the appellate council reduce his sentence to 7-8 years.

SCB’s Vice President pleads for mercy for Trương Mỹ Lan

In her final statement, defendant Trần Thị Mỹ Dung (former Vice President of SCB, whose appeal was accepted by the prosecution, recommending a reduced sentence from 16 to 14-15 years) expressed her gratitude to the lawyers and colleagues who had defended and accompanied her throughout the case.

Dung mentioned that she had heard about the law’s humanity and leniency. Based on this spirit, she pleaded with the council and the prosecution to consider all mitigating circumstances and apply all humanitarian provisions of the law to reduce the sentences of all defendants, especially to spare the life of Trương Mỹ Lan. She believed that the council’s leniency would be a great source of encouragement and motivation for Lan to cope with the situation.

Dung also shared her deep regret for neglecting her family, especially her young son and aging parents, due to her dedication to work.

“At this point, even the simplest hug from a mother to her child has become a luxury for me, unattainable due to the temporary detention facility’s regulations,” Dung said. She urged all free mothers to cherish moments with their loved ones and not to neglect their families, as she had done, in the pursuit of career or financial goals.