VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City People’s Court has sentenced Nguyen Thi Hoang Oanh, former director of Ben Thanh branch of the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam (Agribank), to life in prison on corruption charges after a 10-day trial.

Nguyen Thi Hoang Oanh (first left) and her accomplices at the court. HCM City People’s Court on December 15 sentenced the defendants involved in the Agribank corruption case. – Photo baomoi.com

Oanh, 57, was sentenced for three offences of property embezzlement, receiving bribes and violating lending regulations.

Earlier at the hearing, a representative of the Procuracy proposed giving Oanh the death penalty.

However, Oanh received extenuating circumstances due to her long dedication to her work and she has repaid most of the money stolen from the bank.

Le Van Tinh, former director of Kim Gia Thao Ltd Co, also received life imprisonment for property misappropriation and bribery.

The remaining 10 defendants, Oanh and Tinh’s accomplices, received from three-year suspended sentences to 26 years in prison from the court.

According to the indictment, Oanh used the names of eight people, created dossiers and completed loan procedures to appropriate 2,660 taels of gold from the country’s biggest gold bar trader, Sai Gon Jewellery Joint Stock Company, worth VND47.2 billion (US$2 million) from the branch.

Oanh said she spent 2,250 gold taels to purchase a house on Tran Quang Khai Road in District 1’s Tan Dinh Ward, and then rented it to Agribank Ben Thanh’s transaction office for a total of VND5.6 billion ($5,800 a month).

She used the remaining gold on private businesses. When the debt was due, Oanh directed Cao Ba Hieu (former deputy head of Agribank Ben Thanh’s Business Planning Division) and Truong The Thanh (former director of Agribank Branch No 3) to use Lien Luc Dia Ltd Co and the names of some other individuals and businesses to borrow money from Agribank Ben Thanh and used the money for repayment.

Additionally, Oanh allowed Thanh, former director of Agribank Branch No 3, to use the names of another two persons to borrow VND13 billion ($572,000) from Agribank Ben Thanh for personal purposes. But Thanh failed to repay the bank.

Oanh’s actions are said to have caused Agribank Ben Thanh losses of more than VND358 billion ($15.7 million).

Oanh was also accused of receiving bribes for approving a VND24.6 billion loan for Le Van Tinh. 

Source: VNS