The jury on January 22 imposed strict penalties on Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of PetroVietnam (PVN) Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC), and his accomplices for their wrongdoings at the corporation.

Trinh Xuan Thanh is sentenced to to life in prison on the charge of “asset embezzlement”.

Thanh was sentenced to life in prison on the charge of “asset embezzlement” and 14 years in jail for “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences”. The combined penalty for both counts is life imprisonment.

He has to pay 34 billion VND (1.49 million USD) in compensation to the State, which is represented by PetroVietnam.

Also charged with “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences”, Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of PVN, was given 13 years, while former PVN General Director Phung Dinh Thuc, and former PVN Deputy General Directors Nguyen Quoc Khanh and Nguyen Xuan Son were sentenced to 9 years in jail. 

The jury imposed a seven-year sentence on Ninh Van Quynh, former chief accountant and head of the department of finance, accounting and auditing of PVN, while Le Dinh Mau, former deputy head of the department, and Pham Tien Dat, former chief accountant of PVC, were sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in jail, for the same charge.

A six-year imprisonment sentence was also granted to Nguyen Ngoc Quy, former Vice Chairman of PVC, and Nguyen Manh Tien, ”, former Deputy Director General of PVC.

Vu Hong Chuong, former head of the management board of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant project, was sentenced to three years’ probation, while Tran Van Nguyen, former chief accountant at the board, was granted a 17-month suspended sentence, and former PVC Deputy General Director Truong Quoc Dung sentenced to 17 months in jail.

Former Director General of PVC Vu Duc Thuan was sentenced to 7 years in prison  on the charge of “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causing severe consequences” and 15 years in prison for “asset embezzlement”. The combined prison term for both charges is 22 years in jail.

The jury also asked Dinh La Thang to pay back 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD), and Khanh, Son and Thuan to compensate 7.5 billion VND (329,250 USD) each.

Quy, Tien, and Quynh were requested to pay 6 billion VND in compensation each, and Nguyen, Chuong, Dat, Dung and Mau are responsible of compensating 2,3 billion VND each.

For the defendants accused of “asset embezzlement”, former Deputy Director General of PVC Nguyen Anh Minh has to serve a 16-year imprisonment, while a 10-year prison term was imposed on Bui Manh Hien, former Chief Office of the PVC, and Luong Van Hoa, former Director of PVC’s Vung Ang-Quang Trach Project Management Unit.

Nguyen Thanh Quynh, former Director for Technique and Technology at Mien Trung Corporation – Da Nang Joint Stock Company, has to serve 8 years in prison.

Minh, Thuan, Hoa, Hien, Quynh have to compensate 3.6 billion VND, 800 million VND,  757.2 billion VND, 400 million VND and 762.4 million VND, respectively.

In addition, Thanh, Thuan, Minh and Hien are responsible for compensating 1.5 billion VND which they possessed and used for general works, or 375 million VND each.

According to a report of PVC, as of January 10, 1.24 trillion VND (54.4 million USD) worth of advanced investments in the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant project had been reclaimed.

The investigation agency is proposed to clarify the use of over 1.15 trillion VND (50.4 million USD) in advance for the project.

Along with the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant, investigations are also required for other projects conducted by PVC such as Ethanol Phu Tho and Dinh Vu polyester fibre factory projects. -VNA