Photo: Illustration
The case involved Tai Loc International Trading and Manufacturing Company Limited (Tai Loc Company), the Hai Phong Port Customs Branch Area 2, and related units. Of the 22 defendants in the case, 14 were former customs officers.
Accordingly, Nguyen Tai Loc, Director of Tai Loc Company, was brought to trial for the crime of "Giving bribes". Defendant Ngo Quang Tuyen (Chief Accountant of Tai Loc Company) was prosecuted for two crimes: "Smuggling" and "Giving bribes".
Six defendants, all former customs officials, have been prosecuted for "receiving bribes." Among them are defendant To Thi Thu Huong, former Deputy Team Leader of the Import and Export Goods Procedures Team, Port Customs Branch 2; and Dang Hoang Lan, former Team Leader of the Procedures Team, Port Customs Branch 2.
Regarding the 8 defendants brought to trial for "Abusing their position and authority while performing official duties," there are Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, former Head of Customs Sub-Department 2; Vu Ngan Chau, former Deputy Head of Customs Sub-Department 2... In connection with this, 1 defendant is prosecuted for "Fraudulent appropriation of property."
According to the indictment, from early 2021 to early 2024, Ngo Quang Tuyen and Nguyen Tai Loc used the legal entity of Tai Loc Company to falsely declare the volume and unit price and create fictitious timber product lists in customs declarations to clear 13,376 containers/1,698 customs declarations for peeled wood veneer from acacia, eucalyptus, rubber, and pine trees, with a total value of smuggled goods exceeding 1,800 billion VND.
The prosecuting authorities determined that the amount of illicit profit that defendant Ngo Quang Tuyen obtained from smuggling activities was over 210 billion VND.
To carry out illegal customs clearance, the defendants from Tai Loc Company made "off-the-books payments" to officials, officers, and leaders of the Port 2 Customs Sub-department and colluded with Bao Linh Inspection Joint Stock Company to provide certificates according to the customs declaration.
In this case, the defendants, who are civil servants and leaders of the Customs Procedures Team of Port 2 Customs Sub-department, were identified by the prosecuting authorities as having colluded with Nguyen Quang Long (representing the Tai Loc Group of Companies) to receive "off-the-books" payments to expedite customs clearance and overlook violations.
Regarding the defendants charged with "Abusing their position and authority while performing official duties," the prosecution stated that Nguyen Thi Thu Hien (Head of the Sub-Department) and Vu Ngan Chau (Deputy Head of the Sub-Department) knew that the Customs Clearance Support Team reduced warehousing and storage costs, skipped some steps in receiving, processing, and inspecting goods belonging to the Tai Loc Group of Companies, but failed to take timely measures to prevent it.
The two aforementioned defendants also received money from the group of businesses on multiple occasions, with each receiving nearly 650 million VND.
According to the indictment, between July 2022 and January 2024, 14 officials, officers, and leaders of the Port 2 Customs Sub-Department received extra payments and "thank you" money from the group of defendants involved in smuggling by Tai Loc Company, totaling 8.1 billion VND, in exchange for overlooking violations.
The trial is expected to last several days.
Toan Thang
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/14-cuu-can-bo-hai-quan-sap-bi-dua-ra-xet-xu-102250609092503364.htm
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