Former Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Dang Thanh Binh at the court (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The high-level court in Ho ChiMinh City on December 10 reduced sentences for former Deputy Governor of theState Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Dang Thanh Binh and two other defendants involvedin the losses of over 15 trillion VND (nearly 645.8 million USD) at the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB).
At the appeal trial, beginning on December 5,the court accepted part of the appeals filed by Binh, Pham The Tuan (formerdeputy head of the SBV’s supervision group), and Ngo Van Thanh (former memberof the supervision group).
It rejected the appeals of Ha Tan Phuoc (formerhead of the SBV’s supervision group and former Deputy Director of the SBVbranch in Long An province), and Le Van Thanh (former Chief Inspector of theSBV branch in Long An).
All the five defendants were found guilty oflacking responsibility, causing serious consequences.
According to the first-instance trial’s verdictlast July, Binh was assigned to assist the SBV Governor in instructing therestructuring of six ailing banks, including Dai Tin Bank (the predecessor ofVNCB). He knew that Pham Cong Danh, who later became chairman of the Board ofDirectors of VNCB, and his accomplices transferred shares at Dai Tin Bank beforethey were allowed to join the restructuring.
The appeal court said the previous trials onDanh and his accomplices showed that the group of investors led by Danh didn’thave financial capacity to take part in the restructuring. By using tricks,they used the money disbursed for Dai Tinh Bank’s loans to prove theirfinancial capacity.
Binh and other defendants’ insufficientsupervision and lax direction in ending violations allowed Danh and hisaccomplices to commit violations and lead to serious consequences – the lossesof 15 trillion VND at VNCB.
The court upheld the defendants’ offence of“lacking responsibility, causing serious consequences”.
It revised the penalties for Dang Thanh Binhfrom three years to a suspended three-year sentence with five years’ probation,Pham The Tuan from one year to a suspended one-year sentence with two years’probation, and Ngo Van Thanh from one and a half years to one year.
The respective two-year and two-and-a-half yearimprisonment for Ha Tan Phuoc and Le Van Thanh were upheld. – VNA
VNA
