Hanoi (VNA) – Chu Thi Thanh, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Thien Minh Duc Group JSC, has been sentenced to 15 years for “embezzlement of assets” and 3 years for “Illegal trading of invoices and documents for payment to the state budget”.
The Hanoi People’s Court handed down the ruling on November 5 after four days of trial and deliberation, sentencing Thanh and 22 co-defendants in a case involving embezzlement, illegal issuance and trading of invoices and documents for state budget payments; and tax evasion at Thien Minh Duc Group JSC and relevant units.
Five defendants were sentenced for embezzlement and illegal purchase and sale of invoices and documents for state budget payment, namely chief accountant Nguyen Thi Bich Lien (10 years and 6 months); Deputy General Director Mai Anh Tuyen (9 years and 6 months); Deputy General Director Le Thanh An (8 years and 6 months); and head of sales Chu Duc Manh (7 years and 3 months).
Accountant Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai was jailed for 36 months suspended for embezzlement.
Suspended sentences were granted to Le Thi Ngoc Lan, 12 months; accountant Pham Thi Quynh Trang, 9 months; Duong Thi Thanh Huong, 8 months; and three employees Le Khac Duan, 8 months, and Nguyen Truong Son and Chu Viet Hung, both 10 months, for illegal purchase and sale of invoices and documents for state budget payment.
The 11 remaining defendants included Cao Bao Ngoc, Director of Viet Trung Company, sentenced to 11 years for embezzlement and tax evasion.
Ha Ngoc Vinh, an employee of Vung Ang Petroleum and Petrochemical JSC, was given life imprisonment for embezzlement.
Nine defendants were charged with tax evasion, receiving 6-30 months in prison and fines of 200 million - 1.5 billion VND (7,600 – 57,600 USD).
The court said the price stabilisation fund is a national financial tool built from consumer contributions to support macro-economic regulation and energy security and must be used for the common purpose. It said the defendants abused assigned authority to siphon money from the fund, damaging the credibility of state-trusted key enterprises and weakening transparency and effectiveness in public policy enforcement.
Thanh used her role as head of a key petroleum trading enterprise to direct subordinates to sell goods without invoices, then sell fake invoices and file false reports to state agencies to illegally gain an especially large sum of 79 billion VND. She also profited more than 20 billion VND from selling fake invoices./.
