The accused at the trial. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Hanoi People’s Court on December 6 opened proceedings in the case of ex-deputy director of the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pham Minh Nguyet, and five others accused of violations in economic management.
Nguyet and Nguyen Thi Huyen Hao, former chief accountant of the Hanoi Investment and Development Ltd Company (HADICO); Do Van Hao, ex-general director of HADICO; Dang Thi Thanh Tam, former director of the Tu Liem Tourism and Fruit Enterprise; Duong Thi Chinh, former accountant of the Tu Liem Tourism and Fruit Enterprise; and Nguyen Trong Hung, former director of the Bac Ha enterprise under the HADICO, were accused of property embezzlement, abusing their position while performing their duties and deliberately violating State rules in economic management resulting in losses of more than 40 billion VND (1.8 million USD).
Among the six accused, Nguyet and Huyen Hao may face the highest penalties including the death sentences if found guilty of property embezzlement and abusing their position, while the four others were charged for wrongdoings during performing their duties including abusing their position and financial management.
The hearing is scheduled to take place from December 6-8. Nine lawyers are defending the accused.
According to the indictment, from late 2009 to 2014, Nguyet ordered Huyen Hao and other subordinate officials under his power including directors of member enterprises to set up false documents to withdraw money from HADICO’s production and market stablising funds. The money was supposedly delivered to him.
The total amount of money withdrawn from the company to transfer to Nguyet exceeded 40 billion VND by 2014.
To hide the fraud, Nguyet allegedly instructed his subordinates to sign a bank loan contract worth 19 billion VND so he could pay the money back to the HADICO and then used his own money to refund nearly 26 billion VND to the company.
The procuracy accused Nguyet of embezzling nearly 15 billion VND from HADICO, which his family has completely compensated.
HADICO still lost more than 1.8 billion VND, mostly interest arising from the bank’s 19 billion VND loans, according to the indictment.-VNA
VNA
