On May 16, after a one-and-a-half-day trial, the Hanoi High-Level People’s Court announced the verdicts for the defendants Luu Binh Nhoung, Le Thanh Van, and Nguyen Van Vuong.
Accordingly, the court sentenced Luu Binh Nhoung, 62, former deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Citizen Petitions, to three years in prison for extortion and nine years for taking advantage of his position and influence to appropriate assets, for a total of 12 years in prison.
Thus, Luu Binh Nhoung received a one-year reduction in his sentence for taking advantage of his position and influence compared to the first-instance sentence handed down by the Thai Binh Provincial People’s Court.
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The court upheld the sentences of Le Thanh Van and Nguyen Van Vuong. Le Thanh Van, 61, former National Assembly deputy for the 15th term, was sentenced to seven years in prison for taking advantage of his position and influence for personal gain.
Nguyen Van Vuong, 49, former specialist at the Legal Affairs Department under the Office of the President, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the same offense.
As we have reported, the appellate trial was held to consider the appeals of Le Thanh Van and Nguyen Van Vuong, who claimed their innocence, and Luu Binh Nhoung, who requested a reduced sentence.
According to the court, Luu Binh Nhoung had confessed and pleaded guilty since the first trial. During his career, he had achieved commendable results and made full restitution in the case. At the appellate trial, new mitigating circumstances were presented, thus allowing for a reduced sentence.
However, regarding the charge of extortion, the court found that Luu Binh Nhoung was an accomplice and had appropriated a substantial amount of money. The first-instance court had already taken into account mitigating circumstances, so the appellate court could not further reduce the sentence for this charge.
 Trial overview. Photo: TD
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Regarding the appeals of Le Thanh Van and Nguyen Van Vuong, the court found no grounds to accept their pleas of innocence. Their actions met the elements of the offense of taking advantage of their positions and influences for personal gain. Both defendants held positions of power and influenced certain agencies for their benefit.
Subjectively, the motive was for personal gain, with some cases involving immediate benefits and others involving expected future benefits.
Objectively, Le Thanh Van, as a member of the National Assembly, had influence and took advantage of it for personal gain.
Therefore, there were no grounds to accept their pleas of innocence, and the original sentences should be upheld.
The convictions of Le Thanh Van and Nguyen Van Vuong were accurate in terms of the offenders, the offenses, and the applicable laws.
While there were some procedural errors during the investigation and the first-instance trial, the court found that they did not affect the nature of the case.
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Luu Binh Nhoung expressed remorse for his actions Earlier that day, in his final statement, Luu Binh Nhoung acknowledged that he had realized his wrongdoing and felt remorseful since the first trial. He apologized to the Party, the State, voters, and the people and asked the court for leniency. Nhoung stated that he had been obedient and compliant with the regulations during his detention. Nhoung requested the court to consider the nature and extent of his involvement in the “Extortion” case involving Pham Minh Cuong (Thuy Xuan, Thai Thuy, Thai Binh, a co-defendant in the case who did not appeal the first-instance verdict). Nhoung argued that he was also a victim, manipulated by Cuong. Luu Binh Nhoung hoped for a significant reduction in his sentence so that he could return to fulfill his responsibilities to his family and realize some aspirations for his hometown. In his final statement, Nguyen Van Vuong asked the court to thoroughly consider the verdict. He reiterated his claim of innocence, asserting that he had slandered the two former National Assembly delegates, Le Thanh Van and Luu Binh Nhoung, and that they had not made any demands or led him to do anything wrong. Vuong maintained that if he were to be convicted of the current charges, he would feel extremely wronged, believing that he was only guilty of slandering Nhoung and Van. Le Thanh Van, in his final statement, expressed his hope that the court would thoroughly consider the evidence presented at the trial and his defense arguments. |
NGOC SON
– 14:07 05/16/2025
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