Despite being sentenced to 30 years in prison and on the run, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, former President of AIC, is still being “appealed on behalf of”.
On January 31, the People’s Court of Hanoi said it had received an appeal from 17 defendants in a case that occurred at Progressive International Joint Stock Company (AIC Company) and the Dong Nai Provincial General Hospital project.
Notably, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan (former Chairman of AIC Company), is being wanted internationally, but Ms. Nhan’s lawyer has appealed on her behalf with the content that the investigation agency is incomplete and has not been investigated. proved that she was the mastermind of the case.
Besides Ms. Nhan, defendant Hoang Thi Thuy Nga, former deputy general director of AIC, appealed to the appellate court to re-evaluate her role as a wage earner. Previously, the first-instance judgment determined that the defendant was the main player in the case, so he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. This defendant also appealed regarding the content of compensation for damage.
Former AIC President Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan.
Defendants Phan Huy Anh Vu, former director of Dong Nai General Hospital, and Bo Ngoc Thu, former director of Dong Nai Province’s Department of Planning and Investment, appealed for a reduction in the punishment.
In addition, 7 other defendants who are on the run have also filed an appeal. Their lawyers also appealed for relief for their clients or asked the appellate court to review the first-instance judgment on the grounds that the evidence was insufficient, the investigation process was flawed.
Mr. Tran Dinh Thanh (former Secretary of Dong Nai) and Mr. Dinh Quoc Thai (former Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee) did not appeal. They accepted the first-instance sentences of 11 and 9 years in prison, respectively, for “taking bribes”.
In the sentencing section on January 4, the Hanoi People’s Court said that defendant Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan contacted Dong Nai leaders to ask for help, let AIC Company participate and won the bid at Dong General Hospital. Even though he knew he didn’t have the financial capacity to participate.
Ms. Nhan then directed the staff to collude with the investor and units to prepare bid documents in the direction of helping AIC Company win the bid. Through this, AIC illegally participated and won 16 bidding packages at Dong Nai General Hospital, causing damage of VND 152 billion.
Working in Dong Nai, defendant Nhan and his subordinates bribed the then Secretary of Dong Nai, Mr. Tran Dinh Thanh, 14.5 billion VND; Dinh Quoc Thai VND 14.5 billion and Phan Huy Anh Vu VND 14.8 billion. Defendant Bo Ngoc Thu was also “thanked” for 1 billion VND.
The court determined that defendant Nhan had committed the crimes of giving bribes and violating bidding with the role of leader, mastermind, and was subject to the aggravating circumstance of fleeing.
Former employees at AIC testified that they followed Ms. Nhan’s highest instructions. Former Deputy General Director, Hoang Thi Thuy Nga claimed that Nhan was authorized to carry out bidding at the project, contact provincial leaders, direct subordinates and connect “green troops”.
Due to the above acts, all 36 defendants in the case were sentenced to prison, including 8 in absentia. Regarding civil, the court determined that AIC Company wanted to pay 152 billion VND but the collateral was not enough, so it was only partially recorded. Therefore, AIC Company, defendants Nhan, Tran Manh Ha and Hoang Thi Thuy Nga must also compensate.
The group of defendants Tran Dinh Thanh, Dinh Quoc Thai, Phan Huy Anh Vu, and Bo Ngoc Thu had to pay illegal profits, recording they had paid this amount. The “green army” businesses in the case also have to pay back the illegal money.
