Court sentences 4 to life in prison for "rescue flight" case

On the afternoon of July 28, the Hanoi People's Court sentenced 54 defendants in the "rescue flight" case. Four defendants, To Anh Dung, Pham Trung Kien, Vu Anh Tuan, and Hoang Van Hung, were sentenced to life in prison.

At 1:40 p.m., the defendants were escorted to court one by one and brought into the courtroom.

Before the panel of judges began to announce the verdict, former Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Chu Xuan Dung asked to comment but was not approved by the presiding judge. The presiding judge announced that this afternoon was the sentencing session, so if the defendant had any comments, he should submit a petition to the prosecution agency for consideration.

The panel of judges said that in court the defendants basically admitted to their crimes, so the panel of judges did not analyze further.

However, some defendants did not admit to giving and receiving bribes, and argued that the defendants did not agree with the company on what they would or would not do, nor did they ask the company to pay them a thank you. After the flights, the company gave the defendants a thank you money, not a bribe.

Regarding the above issue, the panel cited the provisions of Clause 1, Article 354 and Clause 2, Article 222 of the Penal Code to show that the defendants' actions constituted the crime of "Receiving bribes".

According to the Trial Council, during the investigation and litigation process in court, a number of businesses applied for flight licenses but were not granted, were rejected, or were granted late. This caused the flight-organizing businesses to suffer losses.

Therefore, many businesses contacted the defendants to ask for help in obtaining flight permits. After that, more businesses were granted permits, more passengers were brought back, and permits were granted sooner.

In addition to defendants Pham Trung Kien (former Secretary of the Deputy Minister of Health) and Vu Anh Tuan (former officer of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security) who demanded and offered prices, defendants from the Government Office and other agencies, although they did not agree or request how much money to give, all met and supported businesses before or after the flights and then the businesses gave money as thanks.

The amount of the thank you money is based on the number of flights, the number of passengers on the flights, often in large, very large, and especially large amounts. The defendants' receipt of money happened regularly, continuously, and far exceeded the civil servant's salary.

At the investigation agency and in court, the defendants, who are representatives of the businesses, all admitted that if they did not pay, their businesses would not be given favorable conditions to operate flights. The payment must be made before or after the flights. The payment is a share of the business's profits to continue being granted flight licenses.

The panel of judges also determined that after receiving the money, the defendants in the "Receiving bribes" group appropriated and used it for personal purposes. The lawyers' statement that it was a thank you money, not a bribe, is incorrect.

The defendants heard the verdict.

The People's Court sentenced the defendants for the crimes of Bribery, Bribery Brokerage, Abuse of position and power while performing official duties, and Fraudulent appropriation of property as follows:

The group of defendants committed the crime of "Receiving bribes":

To Anh Dung (former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs ): 16 years in prison

Nguyen Thi Huong Lan (former Director of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Life imprisonment

Do Hoang Tung (former Deputy Director of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs): 12 years in prison

Nguyen Quang Linh (former Deputy Prime Minister's Assistant): 7 years in prison

Chu Xuan Dung (former Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee): 3 years in prison

Tran Van Tan (former Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee): 6 years in prison

Tran Van Du (former Deputy Director of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security): 7 years in prison

Nguyen Thanh Hai (former Director of the International Relations Department of the Government Office): 6 years in prison

Le Tuan Anh (former Chief of Office of the Consular Department): 42 months in prison

Pham Trung Kien (former Secretary of the Deputy Minister of Health): Life imprisonment

Vu Anh Tuan (former officer of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security): Life imprisonment

Vu Sy Cuong (former officer of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security): 9 years in prison

Nguyen Tien Than (former specialist of the International Relations Department of the Government Office): 5 years in prison

Nguyen Mai Anh (former Specialist of the International Relations Department of the Government Office): 6 years in prison

Nguyen Hong Ha (former Vietnamese Consul General in Osaka, Japan): 4 years in prison

Vu Hong Quang (former Deputy Head of the Department of Air Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Transport): 4 years in prison

Vu Hong Nam (former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan): 30 months in prison

Ngo Quang Tuan (former specialist of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Transport): 4 years in prison

Vu Ngoc Minh (former Vietnamese Ambassador to Angola): 30 months in prison

Luu Tuan Dung (former Deputy Head of Citizen Protection Department, Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs): 18 months in prison

Ly Tien Hung (former expert of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Ministry of Education and Training): 30 months in prison

Regarding additional penalties, each defendant was fined 100 million VND.

* Confiscate and expropriate 30 billion VND of defendant Pham Trung Kien.

The group of defendants committed the crime of "Bribery":

Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang (Deputy General Director of Blue Sky Company): 11 years in prison

Le Hong Son (General Director of Blue Sky Company): 10 years in prison

Hoang Dieu Mo (General Director of An Binh Aviation Service Tourism Trading Company Limited): 7 years in prison

Nguyen Tien Manh (Deputy Director of Viet Travel and Tourism Trading Joint Stock Company): 7 years in prison

Vu Thuy Duong (Director of Viet Travel Trading Joint Stock Company): 3 years suspended sentence

Hoang Anh Kiem (in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi): 6 years in prison

Nguyen Thi Tuong Vy (Director of ATA Vietnam One Member Co., Ltd.): 4 years in prison

Vo Thi Hong (Director of Minh Ngoc Aviation Trading and Service Company Limited): 4 years in prison

Le Van Nghia (Director of Nhat Minh Tourism and Catering Services Joint Stock Company): 3 years in prison

Tran Thi Mai Xa (Director of MasterLife Company): 3 years in prison

Le Thi Ngoc Anh (former official of the Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission): 3 years in prison

Nguyen Thi Hien (in Long Bien district, Hanoi): 30 months in prison

Dao Minh Duong (Director of Vijasun Joint Stock Company): 3 years in prison

Nguyen Thi Dung Hanh (Director of G19 Vietnam Company Limited): 30 months in prison

Phan Thi Mai (Director of Sao Ha Noi International Joint Stock Company): 30 months suspended sentence

Vu Minh Thang (Director of Thuan An Investment and Trading Company): 30 months suspended sentence

Nguyen The Dung (Director of Sang Trong Tourism and Trade Company Limited): 24 months suspended sentence

Tran Hong Ha (Director of Sao Viet International Trade and Human Resources Supply Company Limited): 24 months suspended sentence

The jury of the "rescue flight" case.

Pham Bich Hang (in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi): 20 months in prison

Tran Tien (Director of Phi Truong Trade and Tourism Company Limited): 18 months suspended sentence

Pham Ba Son (employee of Thai Hoa Construction Joint Stock Company): 18 months suspended sentence

Cao Duc Hiep (Director of Railway Trade Union Tourism and Services Company Limited): 18 months suspended sentence

Dao Thi Chung Thuy (in Ha Dong district, Hanoi): 15 months suspended sentence

Regarding additional penalties, each defendant was fined 50 million VND; 3 defendants were exempted from additional penalties.

The group of defendants committed the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties":

Tran Viet Thai (former Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia): 4 years in prison

Nguyen Le Ngoc Anh (former officer of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia): 30 months in prison

Nguyen Hoang Linh (former officer of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia): 30 months in prison

Dang Minh Phuong (former accountant of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia): 18 months

Regarding additional penalties, each defendant was fined 50 million VND.

The group of defendants committed the crime of "Bribery Brokerage":

Nguyen Anh Tuan (former Deputy Director of Hanoi Police): 5 years in prison

Tran Quoc Tuan (Director of Vietnam Trade and Tourism Promotion Joint Stock Company): 3 years in prison

Bui Huy Hoang (former specialist of the Department of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health): 30 months in prison

Pham Thi Kim Ngan (former officer of the Administrative Department of the Government Inspectorate Magazine): 15 months in prison

Regarding the additional penalty, each defendant was fined 50 million VND. Defendants Pham Thi Kim Ngan and Tran Quoc Tuan were exempted from the additional penalty.

The group of defendants committed the crime of "Fraudulent appropriation of property":

Hoang Van Hung (former investigator): Life imprisonment

Tran Minh Tuan (Director of Thai Hoa Construction Joint Stock Company): 16 years in prison for fraud and appropriation of property; 2 years in prison for bribery

(According to Vietnamnet)

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