Trial begins on third case involving former OceanBank executive Ha Van Tham

Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Court on April 27 began a first-instance trial of a case on violations of accounting regulations at the Ocean Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OceanBank).

This is the third case involving Ha Van Tham, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of OceanBank.

Among eight defendants on trial, seven are from the OceanBank, including Tham and Le Thi Thu Thuy, former Deputy General Director of OceanBank. The eighth one was former Chief Accountant of Ocean Group Joint Stock Company Hoang Van Tuyen. They are charged with “breaching accounting regulations causing serious consequences” under Clause 3, Article 221 of the 2015 Penal Code.

Tham and Thuy are already serving their sentences of the previous trial.

The indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy at the trial said from 2010 to 2014, at the instruction of Tham, the OceanBank paid more than 1,576 billion VND (67.23 million USD at current exchange rate) in extra interest rates which were not stated in contracts, to customers depositing money in the bank (the first case involving Tham). To compensate for the money, Tham instructed Thuy to coordinate with other sections to make fake contracts with partners in and outside the Ocean Group, resulting in losses worth more than 106 billion VND to OceanBank.

Tham was said to be the key in the case, while Thuy was a main accomplice.

The trial is scheduled to last three days./.