On May 12, the Ho Chi Minh City High-Level People’s Court of Appeals ruled on a case involving Xuyen Viet Oil Company.
According to the judge, defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh, former Director and Chairman of the Xuyen Viet Oil Company, abused her position and authority to violate regulations related to the management and utilization of the price stabilization fund and environmental protection tax, causing losses of over VND 1,463 billion to the state. Specifically, VND 219 billion was lost from the price stabilization fund, and VND 1,244 billion from environmental taxes.
Lacking the qualifications for license renewal, defendant Hanh sought help from defendant Nguyen Loc An, Deputy Head of the Domestic Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Defendant An then connected her with Do Thang Hai, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, to request support. Vice Minister Hai instructed his subordinates to process the paperwork, and the company’s procedures were subsequently facilitated by a network of officials. Defendant Hanh later expressed her “gratitude” to the Ministry of Industry and Trade officials with a payment of over 300,000 USD.
Additionally, defendant Hanh was found guilty of bribing Le Duc Tho, former Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee. In 2021, shortly after taking office, defendant Tho repeatedly suggested that defendant Hanh establish a branch or subsidiary in Ben Tre Province. In response, in December 2021, defendant Hanh founded Viet Oil Joint Stock Company, registering it in the province.
Subsequently, defendant Tho made multiple phone calls and held meetings with the director of VietinBank’s Ben Tre branch, requesting support for Hanh’s business in accessing credit and influencing the bank’s leadership to provide a loan of VND 400 billion with favorable terms and conditions. In total, the branch disbursed over VND 892 billion to the Xuyen Viet Oil Company.
 Defendant Le Duc Tho |
Defendant Hanh presented defendant Tho with a series of expensive gifts, including a set of golf clubs worth VND 1.1 billion, a Patek Philippe Plus watch valued at 421,000 USD, USD 200,000 in cash, a Mercedes-Benz S450 Luxury vehicle costing over VND 6.6 billion, and various other gifts on birthdays and promotions.
Considering the previous appeals for leniency, the appellate court sentenced defendant Le Duc Tho to 14 years in prison for “Receiving Bribes” and 7 years for “Abusing Position and Power to Influence Others for Personal Gain.” The total sentence is 21 years, a reduction of 7 years compared to the first trial.
Defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh received an 11-year sentence for “Bribery” and 17 years for “Violation of Regulations on the Management and Use of State Assets, causing waste and loss.” The total sentence is 28 years, a reduction of 2 years.
The judicial council recognized the serious nature of the crimes committed by the defendants, which significantly impacted social order and national energy security. However, considering that some defendants actively worked to remedy the consequences and had positive work histories, the court reduced the sentences for six defendants who had appealed.
Despite defendant Nguyen Loc An’s additional compensation of over VND 100 million during the appellate trial, the court did not grant a reduced sentence. The council emphasized An’s critical role in granting licenses to Xuyen Viet Oil, resulting in severe consequences, and noted that An is currently being tried in a separate case.
Tran Thai
– 10:58 12/05/2025
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