The High-level People’s Court in Hanoi upheld 13-year jail sentence for Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) during an appeal court on May 14. 

Dinh La Thang (front, first, right) and other defendants at the court

He was charged with “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences”.

According to the verdict, Thang and Phung Dinh Thuc, former PetroVietnam Director gave the PVC the EPC contract package for the Thai Binh thermal power project No.2, which is a key national project, in the form of appointment of contractor. 

On the other hand, while the adjusted investment project was not approved, plus the lack of the FEED design, total estimates, bidding dossiers along with many other legal documents, Dinh La Thang still instructed his subordinates to sign the EPC contract No.33 on February 28, 2011 and a contract on transferring investment ownership No. 4194 on May 13, 2011 with total value of 1.2 billion USD. The signing of those contracts was actually aimed at transferring money from PVN to the debt-ridden PVC.

Thuc received a six-year imprisonment sentence instead of the previous nine-year jail due to achievements in scientific studies, his family’s contributions to revolution, old age and ailment. Thuc was also charged with “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences”.

PVC General Director Vu Duc Thuan was sentenced six years in prison instead of seven years in the previous sentence for deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences and 15 years in jail for asset embezzlement. 

Reduced jail sentences were given to former PVN Deputy General Director Nguyen Quoc Khanh (7 years), former deputy head of the PVN Department of Accounting and Auditing Le Dinh Mau (3 years and six months), former Vice Chairman of the PVC Board of Directors Nguyen Ngoc Quy (5 years and six months), and former PVC Deputy General Director Nguyen Manh Tien (5 years and 6 months). 

Sentences were upheld for former PVC Deputy General Director Nguyen Anh Minh, former Director of the PVC’s Vung Ang – Quang Trach project management board Luong Van Hoa, former PVC Chief of Office Bui Manh Hien, former PetroVietnam chief accountant Ninh Van Quynh, former head of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project management board Vu Hong Chuong, and former chief accountant of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project management board Tran Van Nguyen. 

The court asked Dinh La Thang, Phung Dinh Thuc, Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Vu Duc Thuan, Nguyen Ngoc Quy, Nguyen Manh Tien, Ninh Van Quynh, Tran Van Nguyen, Vu Hong Chuong, Le Dinh Mau, Trinh Xuan Thanh, Nguyen Xuan Son, Pham Tien Dat and Truong Quoc Dung to pay over 119 billion VND (5.28 million USD) to PVN in compensation. 

Thang must pay 30 billion VND while Thuc, Khanh, Thuan pay 7.5 billion VND each. 

Vu Duc Thuan, Nguyen Anh Minh, Luong Van Hoa, Bui Manh Hien, Trinh Xuan Thanh, Nguyen Thanh Quynh, Le Thi Anh Hoa must pay 11.8 billion VND in total. 

About the appeal lodged by Trinh Hung Cuong - son of Trinh Xuan Thanh about Thanh’s private assets, the court decided to maintain the Ministry of Public Security’s order of restraint on Thanh’s private assets, including a villa in Hanoi’s Vinhomes Riverside ecological urban area, an apartment in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, bank accounts and saving books of Trinh Xuan Thanh, his spouse Tran Duong Nga and two sons, and shares owned by Thanh and Nga, and prevention of any transfer involving these properties.-VNA