Trial date set for phase 2 of 'rescue flight' case

The Hanoi People's Court has decided to open the first-instance trial of 17 defendants in the "rescue flight" case (phase 2) on December 24. The trial is expected to last 8 days (including holidays). The trial panel consists of 5 people: 2 judges and 3 people's assessors, in which judge Vu Xuan Van (Chief of the Criminal Court, Hanoi People's Court) presides over the trial. Three prosecutors from the Supreme People's Procuracy and the Hanoi People's Procuracy are assigned to exercise the right to prosecute and supervise the first-instance trial at the trial.

In this case, defendant Tran Tung (born in 1978, former Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Thai Nguyen province) was prosecuted for "receiving bribes" and "abusing position and power while performing official duties".

Five defendants were brought to trial for the crime of "receiving bribes" including: Tran Thi Quyen (born in 1986, Director of Sen Vang Dat Viet Company), Le Thi Phuong (born in 1969, former specialist of the Department of Science, Education and Culture, Office of the People's Committee of Hai Duong province), Nguyen Van Van (born in 1965, former Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Quang Nam province), Le Ngoc Tuong (born in 1979, former Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province), Nguyen Manh Truong (born in 1980, former specialist of the Department of Air Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Transport).

There are 10 defendants prosecuted for the crime of "bribery" including: Vu Hong Quang (born in 1977, former Deputy Head of the Air Transport Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Transport), Tran Thanh Nha (born in 1991, residing in Ho Chi Minh City), Vu Hoang Dung (born in 1987, residing in Hanoi), Nguyen Manh Cuong (born in 1977, Head of the E-commerce Department of Vietjet Aviation Trading Joint Stock Company), Dang Nhat Duc (born in 1975, Director of Top Agent Japan Co., Ltd.), Bui Dang Khoa (born in 1984, Director of World Travel One Member Co., Ltd.), Truong Thi My Dung (born in 1972, Director of Anh Sao Thien Tourism Service Trading One Member Co., Ltd.), Pham Quoc Thang (born in 1977, Director of PNR Co., Ltd.), Tran Thi Ngan (born in 1984, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Anna Travel Service and Trading Co., Ltd.) and Tran Minh Phung (born in 1970, Director of Gia Huy Construction, Tourism and Trading Services Company Limited).

Defendant Nguyen Xuan Thong (born in 1975, residing in Hanoi) was brought to trial for the crime of "concealing a criminal".

Currently, there are nearly 20 lawyers registered to defend the defendants. Of these, defendant Tran Tung has 3 defense lawyers, defendant Vu Hong Quang has 2 defense lawyers. The two defendants Vu Van Van and Le Ngoc Tuong did not invite defense lawyers and are not required to appoint defense lawyers.

According to the indictment of the Supreme People's Procuracy, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out and became complicated, the Government directed the organization of flights to bring Vietnamese citizens from abroad back to the country to prevent the epidemic. The Government assigned the Government Office and the Working Groups of a number of ministries, branches and localities to carry out the flight licensing process and the quarantine policy.

Taking advantage of the Party and State's policies and assigned positions and powers, some individuals at the People's Committees of provinces and cities agreed to give/receive bribes and violated their official duties to advise and propose approval of policies for businesses to bring citizens back to the country for medical quarantine in their localities.

The defendants also directly or through intermediaries colluded and agreed with officials of the Ministry of Health to bribe/receive bribes of large sums of money to obtain written approval and review for citizens (individual passengers) to return on single flights.

In addition, there are defendants who took advantage of their positions to guide and incite related people to make false statements, conceal crimes, and obstruct the investigation and clarification of crimes by authorities.

Specifically, defendant Tran Tung received bribes three times with a total amount of more than 4.4 billion VND. In addition, Tung also took advantage of his position and power while performing official duties, acting against his official duties to advise and propose to the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province to carry out 7 flights for Ms. Bui Thi Kim Phung, benefiting from the amount of more than 3.2 billion VND.

Defendant Nguyen Van Van received bribes 5 times, totaling 450 million VND. Defendant Le Ngoc Tuong received bribes 4 times, totaling 400 million VND. Defendant Nguyen Manh Truong (former specialist of the Air Transport Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Transport) received bribes 4 times, totaling 244 million VND...

Regarding defendant Nguyen Xuan Thong, the indictment clearly states that defendant Thong did not make any promises in advance, but when he knew that Tran Minh Tuan (who had been prosecuted in phase 1 of the case) had committed bribery, he still instructed Tuan to make false statements to conceal his criminal acts.

The Supreme People's Procuracy determined that the defendant Thong's actions had obstructed the investigation, prosecution, and trial of the case of "giving bribes, receiving bribes, brokering bribes, taking advantage of positions and powers while performing official duties, and fraudulent appropriation of property" occurring at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hanoi, and other provinces and cities (the "rescue flight" case, phase 1).