The Candy Queen: How the Sen Vang Company’s ‘Godmother’ Helped Thuy Tien Dodge Responsibility in the Kera Candy Scandal

In conclusion to the investigation into the Kera candy case, the Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security has proposed the prosecution of Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (Hang Du Muc), Pham Quang Linh (Quang Linh Vlogs), and Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien (Miss International Peace 2021) for the offense of Fraudulent Consumers.

In addition to the accused, during the investigation, the Ministry of Public Security considered the roles and responsibilities of individuals at Sen Vang Commercial Advertising Joint Stock Company, the unit directly managing Miss Thuy Tien. This includes General Director Pham Thi Kim Dung (“beauty pageant boss”) and three others.

According to the investigation’s conclusions, these individuals did not participate in any discussions or exchanges during the production, promotion, introduction, or announcement of Chị Em Rọt Company’s Kera candy product. They also did not negotiate or discuss any matters related to the promotion of Kera candy with the shareholders of Chị Em Rọt Company.

“Tien’s participation as a brand representative, promoting and introducing the Kera brand, was a personal undertaking and not on behalf of Sen Vang Company,”

the investigation’s conclusion stated.

It was only on March 7, after Tien asked Sen Vang Company to sign a contract with Chị Em Rọt Company to legalize her promotion of Kera candy since December 2024, that Ms. Dung directed her subordinates to draft and sign a service contract to protect Thuy Tien’s image and avoid any negative impact on Sen Vang Company.

The investigating agency determined that Sen Vang Company and the four individuals did not gain any benefits during the production, promotion, introduction, or announcement of Kera candy or from signing the aforementioned contract for Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien. Therefore, the actions of the “beauty pageant boss” and the three others did not constitute a criminal offense, nor was there any evidence of complicity with the accused in this case.

According to the investigation’s conclusions, Thuy Tien has a significant influence on social media and possesses knowledge and experience in online sales. Meanwhile, Kera candy is a product of Tien and the shareholders of Chị Em Rọt Joint Stock Company, with whom she collaborated in business.

Notably, Tien was entitled to 25% of the profits according to the capital contribution agreement (later increased to 30% from December 12, 2024). Therefore, the beauty queen is also responsible for the food safety of the products she sells, taking full responsibility for the specifications, quality, and packaging content of Kera candy. She is also accountable for introducing, announcing, and promoting the product.

The investigating agency accused Tien of being primarily responsible for promoting and introducing Kera candy to consumers and representing the brand at events and charitable activities organized by the brand and Chị Em Rọt Company.

During the implementation, Tien directly participated in groups to manage the development of the brand, approved promotional posts, and organized programs to introduce and develop the product.

However, throughout the production and sales process, Tien showed little concern for the quality of Kera candy and did not directly inspect the ingredients or production processes of Asia Company. She only tasted the candy to provide feedback on the taste, texture, and shape, focusing primarily on sales.

After the product launch, Thuy Tien, along with Hang Du Muc and Quang Linh Vlogs, created videos to introduce and promote Kera vegetable candy and livestreamed sales on social media platforms.

During these live sessions, the trio made several false statements, with Tien notably agreeing to the claim, “one candy is equivalent to one bunch of vegetables,” and directly stating, “eating just 2 to 3 candies a day can provide enough fiber for an average person.” These statements exaggerated the product’s benefits.

The investigation’s conclusion revealed that Tien was aware that Kera candy had a very low fiber content and did not significantly contribute to fiber intake for those who dislike vegetables or have busy lifestyles. Moreover, she had no specific knowledge of the types of ingredients used by Asia Life Company in production. Nonetheless, she utilized her image and fame to promote and introduce the product, leading consumers to believe and decide to purchase Kera candy.

As a result, the accused parties illegally profited by more than 12.4 billion VND, with Miss Thuy Tien receiving over 6.8 billion VND in commissions from Chị Em Rọt Company for selling over 11,700 Kera candy products during livestreams in December 2024.

When a controversy arose on social media regarding the fiber content in Kera candy, Tien, to protect her image and reputation, requested on March 7 that Le Tuan Linh (Director of Chị Em Rọt Company) sign a contract dated December 5, 2024 (before Tien’s Facebook advertisement for Kera candy) to eliminate her role as a shareholder. This contract positioned her solely as an advertiser for Chị Em Rọt Company’s vegetable candy product.

The investigating agency accused Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien of committing the offense of Fraudulent Consumers. During the investigation, Tien was cooperative, confessing to her crimes. She is a first-time offender with a good background and has made significant positive contributions to society, earning numerous certificates of merit, commendations, and letters of appreciation from various sectors and organizations.

Additionally, Thuy Tien voluntarily requested her family to deposit 3.2 billion VND into the temporary holding account of the investigating agency to help remedy the consequences of the case.