The court found that during the process of participating in tenders, winning bids, and executing project packages in former Bac Giang province, former Tuyen Quang province, Quang Ninh province, Hanoi, and at the former Ministry of Transport, Nguyen Duy Hung, former Chairman of Thuan An Group, abused his relationships with leaders of central and local agencies to seek introductions, intervention and influence over provincial-level leaders and the former Ministry of Transport, thereby facilitating his company’s participation in tenders, winning of bids, and project implementation.

The jury assessed that Hung bore the highest level of responsibility in the case. He had exploited his relationships with leaders of central and local agencies to interfere in bidding activities; used money to influence officials and civil servants at project management boards and People’s Committees of several related provinces to secure winning bids; and directed employees of Thuan An Group to commit violations during the bidding process.

The acts committed by the defendants in the case were deemed particularly serious, violating the regulations on objectivity and transparency in bidding activities, adversely affecting economic development and the credibility of state agencies, and causing losses to the State amounting to more than VND120 billion (US$4.56 million).

At the appellate hearing, the trial panel noted that the defendants who filed appeals had made honest confessions, shown remorse, and presented their difficult family circumstances. Some defendants also provided new details to support their appeals.

Also at the hearing, Hung paid an additional VND47 billion in compensation for damage, while Tran Anh Quang, former general director of Thuan An Group, paid an additional VND500 million. As a result, the consequences of the case were fully remedied.

Accordingly, the appellate court sentenced Hung to seven years and six months in prison. Previously, at the first-instance trial, he had been sentenced to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment for the offence of “violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences”.

For the same offence, Quang was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment (reduced from seven years), and Nguyen Khac Man, former deputy general director of the company, to three years’ imprisonment (reduced from four years).

The court also granted suspended sentences to several defendants while reducing sentences for defendants who had not filed appeals, as well as for those who had filed appeals but later withdrew them.

29 indicted in Thuan An Group corruption scandal

The Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam has indicted 29 individuals, including former Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Office Pham Thai Ha, in a sweeping corruption case involving Thuan An Group.