Vietnam - Court upholds 20-year sentence for Vinashin ex-chairman

59-year-old Vinashin ex-chairman Pham Thanh Binh and his seven accomplices who were sentenced in a notorious economic scandal have seen their sentences upheld by the Supreme People’s Court at the appeal hearing that ended yesterday.

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The top-level court rejected every appeal of the defendants, saying that there was no ground for any commutation to be given to any of them, each of whom was charged with “intentionally violating the State’s economic management regulations, which causes serious consequences”.

Accordingly, their sentences at the first instance trial in March were maintained, with Binh receiving 20 years in jail while the other defendants received 10-19 years imprisonment.

On March 30, the Hai Phong People’s Court sentenced Binh and his eight accomplicesand concluded that they had caused a total damage of VND910 billion (US$43.5 million), including VND469.5 billion in the purchase of the Hoa Sen ship; VND316.5 billion in the Red River thermal power plant project in Nam Dinh Province; VND66.5 billion in the Cai Lan diesel thermal power plant in Quang Ninh province; VND30.4 billion in the financial lease of the Binh Dinh Star; and VND27.3 billion in the sale of the Bach Dang Giang. 

The only offender who did not appeal his sentence is Nguyen Tuan Duong, 46, former chairman of Cuu Long Investment Joint Stock Company, who received a 3-year sentence.

When Binh was allowed to speak before the appeal court’s jury announced the sentences, he said he took responsibility for all the wrongdoings he had committed. He also sent his apologies to every employee of the giant shipbuilding group and to the Government for his failure to fulfill the tasks and duties entrusted to him by the Party, State and people.

The court also maintained the compensation amounts the defendants have to pay as specified in the verdicts announced at the March hearing.

Shipbuilding giant Vinashin, a state-owned company founded in 1996, came to the verge of bankruptcy in 2009 after accumulating an enormous debt of over $4.11 billion. The government later introduced reforms to get the embattled shipbuilder back on track.

List of eight sentences upheld

1. Pham Thanh Binh, 59, former Vinashin chairman: 20 years

2. Tran Van Liem, 57, former head of Vinashin's Supervisory Committee; former general director of Vien Duong Company: 19 years

3. To Nghiem, 53, former chairman of Cai Lan Shipping Industry One-Member Co. Ltd.: 18 years

4. Nguyen Van Tuyen, 50, former director of Hoang Anh Shipping Industry Joint Stock Company: 16 years

4. Trinh Thi Hau, 48, former deputy general director of Vinashin Finance One-member Co. Ltd.: 14 years

6. Hoang Gia Hiep, 40, former deputy general director of Vinashin Finance One-member Co. Ltd and former director of Shipping Industry Finance Leasing Company: 13 years

7. Tran Quang Vu, 54, former general director of Vinashin, former general director of Nam Trieu Company: 11 years

8. Do Dinh Con, 50, former chief accountant and deputy general director of Hoang Anh Shipping Industry Joint Stock Company: 10 years

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