Dozens of defendants "followed" Truong My Lan to appeal, asking for reduced punishment

After submitting an appeal against the entire first instance verdict, dozens of other defendants followed in Lan's footsteps. Specifically, 22 out of 86 defendants filed appeals, most of them seeking reduced punishment.

On May 4, according to media sources, so far, 22/86 defendants have appealed in the case of Truong My Lan and his accomplices, causing losses to Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) of more than VND 677,000 billion. The 22 defendants in appeal are: Truong My Lan, Truong Khanh Hoang, Bui Anh Dung, Vo Tan Hoang Van, Do Thi Nhan, Nguyen Thi Phi Loan, Chu Lap Co (husband of defendant Lan), Tran Thi My Dung, Le Khanh Hien, Le Thanh Ha, Nguyen Thi Phong, Truong Hue Van (nephew of defendant Lan), Nguyen Duy Phuong, Phan Tan Trung, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Mai Hong Nine, Pham Van Phi, Nguyen Cuu Tinh, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Duong Tan Previous, Dao Chi Kien, Nguyen Thanh Tung.

Of the defendants who appealed, most sought relief from the punishment, except for defendant Truong My Lan who appealed the entire sentence of first instance; The defendant Nguyen Thanh Tung appealed for no compensation related to Dong Phuong Oil and Gas Company.

In addition, the defendant Nguyen Cao Tri (54 years old, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Van Lang Company and Capella Company) has appealed for reduced punishment. The court of first instance sentenced this defendant to 8 years in prison for misappropriating VND 1,000 billion from Ms. Truong My Lan. On the civil side, Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) also appealed against the sentence.

In addition, the people involved in the case, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai Joint Stock Company, Ha Long T&H Joint Stock Company and Au Lac Quang Ninh Co., Ltd., have appeals about the amount paid to Truong My Lan.

Earlier, on April 11, TAND HCMC. HCMC sentenced defendant Truong My Lan to death for "embezzlement of assets", 20 years in prison for "offering bribes" and 20 years in prison for "violating regulations on lending in the operation of credit institutions". The aggregate punishment is the death penalty for defendant Lan.

The jury found that the investigation process, the progress of the trial, and the testimony of the defendants were consistent with the evidentiary documents contained in the case file, there were sufficient grounds to determine that as of October 2022, Ms. Truong My Lan had acquired and held up to 91.5% of SCB Bank shares through individuals, legal entity in his name.

The Labor Council also sentenced 4 defendants to life imprisonment, including 3 former senior leaders at SCB: defendant Dinh Van Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors (evading arrest, trial in absentia), defendant Bui Anh Dung, Chairman of the Board of Directors; defendant Vo Tan Hoang Van, General Director; and Do Thi Nhan, former Director General of the Inspection and Supervision Department of Bank II (State Bank) for accepting a bribe of US$5.2 million.

Defendant Zhou Lijie (husband of defendant Lan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Times Square Investment Joint Stock Company, Hong Kong nationality) was sentenced to 9 years in prison; defendant Truong Hue Van (General Director of Windsor Real Estate Management Group Company, nephew of defendant Lan) was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The remaining defendants were sentenced to between 3 years' suspended and 20 years' imprisonment. Of those, 17 defendants were given suspended sentences and released in court if they were not remanded in custody for other crimes. Regarding civil liability, the JSC forced defendant Truong My Lan to compensate SCB more than VND 673,800 billion, because the defendant used all this money; sentenced defendant Lan to pay more than VND 673 billion in first instance civil fees.

On April 26, Ms. Truong My Lan (former Chairman of Van Thinh Phat Group) filed an appeal against the entire criminal conviction of first instance to the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City. HCM. Accordingly, Ms. Truong My Lan applied for a review of the charge charged by the court of first instance and the death sentence for her.

Ms. Truong My Lan did not accept the death sentence, appealed to the end, and sent a petition from the prison Phúc Sen16:56:29 29/04/2024After being sentenced to death, Ms. Truong My Lan did not accept the entire sentence, President Van Thinh Phat sent a final appeal, sent from the detention center to the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City, hoping to have the crime retried.