On June 24th, the Hanoi People’s Court opened a first-instance trial for 41 defendants in a case of “Violation of accounting regulations with serious consequences”, “Violation of bidding regulations with serious consequences”, “Bribery”, and “Receiving bribes” occurring at Phuc Son Group and many related localities.
Forty defendants were escorted to the court, while defendant Nguyen Doan Khanh, former Secretary of Phu Tho, requested to be tried in absentia as he is undergoing treatment at the Stroke Department of Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital. According to the prosecutor, the defendant had submitted a request to be tried in absentia and accepted the court’s decision.
During the procedure, the lawyer of former Vinh Phuc Party Committee Secretary Hoang Thi Thuy Lan presented her client’s health issues, including respiratory arrest, heart problems, and intestinal diseases during her detention. The lawyer requested that the court allow Ms. Lan to sit during the trial.
Former Vinh Phuc Party Committee Secretary Hoang Thi Thuy Lan in court.
Similarly, the lawyer for Cao Khoa, former Chairman of the Quang Ngai People’s Committee, explained that Mr. Khoa suffered from heart problems and was at risk of a stroke. Mr. Khoa requested not to answer questions from other participants in the trial but only from the prosecutors.
Regarding defendant Nguyen Van Hau, former Chairman of Phuc Son Group, his lawyer requested that the court address him by his full name and not use the nickname “Pháo.”
According to the indictment, during the implementation of projects and bids in Vinh Phuc, Quang Ngai, and Phu Tho provinces, Nguyen Van Hau directly committed or instructed his subordinates to commit, or colluded with other units to violate accounting and bidding laws.
The violations caused particularly serious harm to the state, with a total loss of VND 1,168 billion. This includes VND 504 billion in accounting violations, VND 204 billion in land price reassessment, and VND 459 billion in bidding violations.
Hau’s actions led to the discipline of numerous officials in the aforementioned localities, undermining public trust and causing public discontent.
Furthermore, Nguyen Van Hau took advantage of his connections and used money and material benefits to collude with individuals holding positions of power. These individuals then followed Hau’s requests, creating favorable conditions for Phuc Son-affiliated companies to win bids and execute projects and packages, resulting in illegal profits and causing serious damage to state assets.
In total, Nguyen Van Hau bribed others with over VND 132 billion. This includes VND 25 billion and USD 1 million (equivalent to over VND 47.9 billion) to Hoang Thi Thuy Lan; VND 20 billion and USD 1.3 million to Le Duy Thanh; VND 20,000 USD and a land deal with a profit of VND 3 billion to Nguyen Van Khooc.
Nguyen Van Hau also bribed Dang Van Minh, former Director of the Department of Transport and former Chairman of Quang Ngai Province, with VND 22.6 billion and USD 240,000. Of this, Mr. Minh received benefits worth VND 10.6 billion and USD 40,000. Through Dang Van Minh, Nguyen Van Hau bribed Cao Khoa with VND 6 billion and USD 20,000, and Le Viet Chu with VND 6 billion.
Today’s Trial: Hau ‘Cannon’ and the String of Former Provincial Secretaries and Chairmen
“During the Phuoc Son trial, a number of defendants were former chairpersons, secretaries, and provincial leaders from Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, and Quang Ngai.”
“Authorities Seek Victims in Case Involving Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy”
The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) invites victims of the case involving Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy to come forward and provide information and documents before the investigation concludes on July 1st.
The Embezzling Female Chief Accountant: A Tale of Greed and Corruption in Gia Lai
A Gia Lai provincial accountant for the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee embezzled 4.1 billion VND, using the funds to purchase multiple properties and repay personal debts.
Indictment: Chairman of Son Lam Pharmaceutical Company Charged with Bribery Scandal Involving Over $70 Million
“In a recent scandal, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Son Lam Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, Pham Van Cach, has been accused of bribing officials with over VND 70 billion ($3 million). This allegedly occurred during the execution of a contract to supply medicines to several hospitals and healthcare centers. The bribe was purportedly used to ensure smooth operations and avoid any obstacles or difficulties in the contract’s execution.”
“The Billionaire’s Surplus: A Tale of Excess”
The presiding judge announced that the defendant, Trinh Van Quyet, and his two sisters had overpaid their obligations by over VND 20 billion compared to the sentence declared in the first-instance trial. The judge noted that if a fine were to be imposed as a hypothetical scenario, the maximum amount for manipulating the stock market, according to Clause 2, Article 211 of the Penal Code, would be VND 4 billion, and Mr. Quyet has more than sufficient funds to cover this amount.
