Appeal trial of "rescue flight" case, former investigator asks to be absent

On December 25, the High People's Court in Hanoi brought the "rescue flight" case to trial under the appeal procedure. Before the trial date, former investigator Hoang Van Hung submitted a request to be tried in absentia.

The trial was opened to consider the appeals of 21 defendants and the appeals of people with related rights and obligations. Judge Mai Anh Tai, Chief of the Economic Court, High People's Court in Hanoi, presided over the trial.

The defendants who appealed include: Hoang Van Hung (former Head of Department 5, Security Investigation Agency, Ministry of Public Security), Le Van Nghia (Director of Nhat Minh Tourism and Catering Services Joint Stock Company), Tran Minh Tuan (Director of Thai Hoa Construction Joint Stock Company), To Anh Dung (former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs);

Pham Thi Kim Ngan (officer of the administrative department, Thanh Tra Magazine), Tran Quoc Tuan (Director of Vietnam Trade and Tourism Promotion Joint Stock Company), Dang Minh Phuong (former Accountant of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia), Nguyen Hoang Linh (former officer of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia);

Pham Bich Hang (in Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi), Le Thi Ngoc Anh (former officer of the Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department), Tran Mai Xa (Director of MasterLife Company), Vo Thi Hong (Director of Minh Ngoc Aviation Trading and Service Company Limited), Hoang Dieu Mo (General Director of An Binh Aviation Trading and Service Company Limited);

Le Hong Son (General Director of Blue Sky Company), Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang (Deputy General Director of Blue Sky Company), Tran Van Tan (former Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee), Vu Sy Cuong (former officer of the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security), Do Hoang Tung (former Deputy Director of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs);

Nguyen Thi Huong Lan (former director of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Vu Anh Tuan (former officer of the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security) and Pham Trung Kien (former Deputy Minister of Health).

In addition, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Quan (defendant Mo's husband) appealed to return the two confiscated phones. In case they are not returned, he requested permission to buy them back to protect his personal information rights.

Ms. Tran Phi Nga (defendant To Anh Dung's wife) appealed part of the verdict, asking to release the seizure and prohibit the movement of the Tay Ho Tay project house and to release the seizure, prohibit the movement and return the red book of the Bac An Khanh house.

Among the 21 defendants, Mr. Le Van Nghia appealed the entire verdict and asked for a suspended sentence. Mr. Tran Minh Tuan appealed because he believed he did not commit the crimes of “Fraudulent appropriation of property” and “Bribery”.

The remaining defendants basically appealed for a reduction in their sentences, expressing their hope that the appellate court would consider some mitigating circumstances, the context, and the level of the crime... to consider granting them leniency under the law, allowing them to soon return to their families and society.

In addition to appealing for a reduced sentence, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang also appealed to the appellate court to force former investigator Hoang Van Hung to return more than 18 billion VND.

According to the first instance verdict, regarding the amount of money that Ms. Hang and Mr. Le Hong Son gave to Mr. Hoang Van Hung through the former Deputy Director of Hanoi Police with the purpose of avoiding criminal prosecution: Because the above amounts of money were used for the purpose of bribery and illegal transactions, the former investigator must be forced to return more than 18.8 billion VND that he had appropriated to the state budget.

At the same time, confiscate and transfer to the state budget 1,850,000 USD that Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, the bribe broker, paid.

Regarding the amount of money that Ms. Pham Bich Hang gave to Mr. Tran Minh Tuan with the purpose of giving it to the competent authorities to apply for permission to organize a flight: Although Ms. Hang was defrauded by Mr. Tran Minh Tuan and appropriated the above amount of money, Ms. Hang intended to use the above amount of money and conduct illegal transactions, giving it to the competent authorities to apply for permission to organize a flight.

Therefore, Mr. Tran Minh Tuan must be forced to return the amount of more than 5.6 billion VND that he appropriated from Ms. Pham Bich Hang to the state.