Trinh Xuan Thanh denies misappropriating assets

Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of the PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC), denied committing asset misappropriation at the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project.
Trinh Xuan Thanh denies misappropriating assets ảnh 1Trinh Xuan Thanh (L) and Nguyen Anh Minh (R) (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of the PetroVietnamConstruction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC), denied committing assetmisappropriation at the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project during the third dayof the trial in Hanoi on January 10.

Thanhsaid he had not directed Nguyen Anh Minh, former PCV Deputy General Director toestablish a fund for internal and external affairs and completely had not knownabout it.

Contraryto Thanh’s statement, Nguyen Anh Minh said the sum of 5 billion VND (200,000USD) given to Thanh to spend on Lunar New Year 2012 gifts was a piece ofevidence to prove that Thanh directed establishing the fund.

Accordingto the verdict, under the direction of Trinh Xuan Thanh and former PVC GeneralDirector Vu Duc Thuan, Minh made a phone call to Luong Van Hoa, former Directorof the PVC’s Vung Ang - Quang Trach Project Management Board on January 6, 2012,requesting preparing 5 billion VND for Thanh’s personal use during the 2012 LunarNew Year holiday.

OnJanuary 12, 2012, Hoa asked Nguyen Duc Hung, former head of the board’sFinance-Accounting Office to transfer over 6.5 billion VND to an account ofQuynh Hoa One-Member Co. Ltd as payment for a falsified contract on auxiliaryworks of the Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant.

Afterreceiving the sum, then chief account Nguyen Thanh Quynh and then Director LeThi Hanh Hoa, of the Quynh Hoa company, kept more than 977 million VND, or 15percent of the total as previously agreed, and transferred the remainingupwards 5.5 billion VND to Hoa’s personal account.

Asdirected by Minh on the morning of January 13, 2012, Hoa withdrew 5 billion VNDand gave to Nguyen Van Ke, driver of Nguyen Anh Minh. Ke later kept 1 billionVND for Nguyen Anh Minh and delivered the remaining 4 billion VND to NguyenDang Toan, driver of Trinh Xuan Thanh for personal use during the Lunar NewYear holiday.

However,Thanh refuted the accusation, saying that at around 13:00 Toan drove him homein Ciputra from the PVC headquarters and to international Noi Bai airport for aflight to Ho Chi Minh City at 16:00 on January 13 so that he did not haveenough time to receive and leave the sum at home.

Duringthe questioning session, Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Councilof PetroVietnam, said after deciding that PVPower would be investor of the ThaiBinh 2 thermal power plant, PetroVietnam’s Member Council directed the Board ofDirectors to conduct the project in line with law.

FormerPetroVietnam General Director Phung Dinh Thuc assigned tasks to the DeputyGeneral Directors, and the council was only responsible for policy andguidelines.

Thangsaid PVPower’s reports then showed that EPC contract No.33 was eligible and itcould be signed. It was not until investigation that he learnt that thecontract lacked legal conditions.

Accordingto a PVPower representative, the signing of EPC contract was meant to launchthe construction.

RegardingPetroVietnam’s advance payment to PVC for Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant,Thang said it was not responsibility of the PetroVietnam’s Member Council and itshead but the Board of Directors.

Thequestioning session will continue on January 12.-VNA
VNA

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