Former Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son speaks in court - PHOTO: VNA

According to the Hanoi People’s Court, Son admitted responsibility for MobiFone's illegal acquisition of AVG’s stake.

A prosecutor said that Son had expected to address the consequences of his violations but did not have the cooperation of his family.

On March 14, Son wrote to his family asking them to return US$3 million that he had received from Vu. His daughter, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, received and read the letter but did not return the money.

On August 12, Son met with his wife and son to ask them to help him repay the money. However, his wife said she only had a savings book worth VND2 billion and would use the money to pay for Son’s lawyers.

Son was charged with infringing on regulations on the management and use of public investment leading to serious consequences and accepting US$3 million from Vu, US$500,000 from former MobiFone chairman Le Nam Tra and US$200,000 from former MobiFone general director Cao Duy Hai.

The prosecutor added that all defendants had pleaded guilty. However, former MobiFone deputy general directors Nguyen Bao Long and Nguyen Dang Nguyen had not agreed with the determination of their roles in the case as stated in the indictment.

However, the prosecutor stressed that the roles played by Long and Nguyen were obvious.

Long, who was in charge of providing consultancy services to the company’s board on the investment in AVG, had referred to reports on AVG on the internet and visited only three of AVG’s stations. Based on Long’s technical assessment report, MobiFone’s board had proposed the company’s member council ask for the Ministry of Information and Communications’ approval for the acquisition of AVG’s stake.

Meanwhile, Nguyen attended three meetings on the acquisition and agreed on the price of a 95% stake in AVG at over VND8.9 trillion. He also signed a report that MobiFone’s member council used as the basis for its proposal that the Ministry of Information and Communications approve the acquisition. SGT

Ex-minister shows intention to return US$3 million bribe

Former Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said on December 20 that he had met with his family to discuss how to return the US$3 million that he had received as bribes from then-AVG chairman Pham Nhat Vu.