VietNamNet Bridge – The People's Court of central Quang Nam Province on Wednesday, August 26, found 14 former Agribank employees guilty of embezzlement, gambling, and causing losses of nearly VND26.5 billion (US$1.2 million) to the State budget.

The People's Court of central Quang Nam Province on Wedneday found 14 former Agribank employees guilty of embezzlement, gambling, and causing losses f nearly VND26.5 billion to the State budget. — Photo: VNE

Nguyen Huu Khanh, 40, former chief accountant and Nguyen Son Hai, 31, a former fund management worker at the Nam Tra My District branch of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) were sentenced to life imprisonment for "misappropriating state assets" and "gambling".

Vo Hong Su, 32, former accountant of the branch was sentenced to 22 years in prison for similar crimes.

Nguyen Huu Khanh, Nguyen Son Hai and Vo Hong Su, were also ordered to compensate Agribank for a total of VND26.5 billion (US$1.2 million). This amount was excluded from the total seized during the investigations.

Le Tu Ban, 55, former director at the branch, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his lack of responsibility that had serious consequences for the bank.

Doan Huong, 51, former deputy director of the branch, was penalised and asked to undergo re-education for law-breakers and be under the authority's management for a year.

Of the other nine people who were indicted for betting on football matches, there of them, Tran Ngoc Dien, Doan Ngoc Tho, and Hoang Phuoc Nguyen, were sentenced to serve between 15 months and three years in jail, while the others were fined between VND70 million ($3,100) and VND150 million ($6,600). Among them, Ngo Trung Ha and Bui Quang Sanh, were both given a year's suspended sentence.

According to the indictment, after suffering continuous losses while betting on football matches, Khanh, Su and Hai devised a plan to steal money from the bank. The three abused their power and authority to prepare cash transfer papers and handed it to bank clerks to transfer cash into their personal accounts.

Khanh, Su and Hai stole nearly VND25.5 billion (US$1.1 million) from the bank's branch between June 2010 and December 2013. The three also stole savings worth more than VND1 billion (US$45,000) belonging to four bank customers. The three men used the stolen money to bet on football matches.