On the afternoon of 16/12, the indictment was announced by a representative of the Hanoi People's Procuracy after more than one day of trial.

Twenty-eight defendants are being prosecuted for three groups of crimes: receiving bribes, giving bribes, and brokering bribes. These offenses occurred over an extended period and across a wide geographical area, involving multiple instances and significant sums of money at the High People's Court in Da Nang and various provinces and cities.

Among the defendants are 10 former leaders, judges, and civil servants of the High People's Court in Da Nang and local People's Courts; three former prosecutors and employees of the People's Procuracy; two former enforcement officers and civil servants of the Civil Judgment Enforcement Agency; four lawyers and law office employees; and nine individuals who are defendants, litigants, and their relatives.

Mr. Pham Viet Cuong (center), former Deputy Chief Justice of the High People's Court in Da Nang, is accused of receiving bribes to intervene in 5 cases. Photo: Danh Lam

Mr. Pham Viet Cuong, former Deputy Chief Justice of the High People's Court in Da Nang, faces the highest recommended sentence of 7-8 years in prison for receiving bribes. He was involved in five case-fixing incidents, receiving a total of 970 million Vietnamese dong.

For the same charge, Mr. Pham Tan Hoang, former Deputy Chief Justice of the High People's Court in Da Nang, and Nguyen Tan Duc, former Chief Justice of the Criminal Court of Dak Lak Provincial People's Court, are both recommended for 3-4 years in prison. Mr. Vu Van Tu, former judge of Dak Lak Provincial People's Court, faces a recommended sentence of 24-30 months.

The individual facing the second-highest recommended sentence is Mr. Cuong's colleague, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, former Deputy Head of the Civil, Labor, and Commercial Supervision and Inspection Department at the High People's Court in Da Nang. She faces 6-7 years in prison for brokering bribes. Ms. Nga is accused of being the most active broker in the entire case, facilitating 15 incidents, with 10 successful, aiming to profit a total of 8,6 billion Vietnamese dong. According to the indictment, Ms. Nga inflated prices or actively withheld money, personally profiting 30-330 million Vietnamese dong per case.

Prosecuted for two charges, Mr. Le Phuoc Thanh, former senior prosecutor and Deputy Chief of the Administrative, Business, and Commercial Case Prosecution Department at the High People's Procuracy in Da Nang, is recommended for 3-4 years in prison for receiving bribes and 5-6 years for brokering bribes, totaling 8-10 years.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a lawyer, is also prosecuted for two charges: giving bribes and brokering bribes, with a recommended sentence of 3-4 years in prison for each crime, totaling 6-8 years.

>>Recommended sentences for 28 defendants by the People's Procuracy

A representative of the Hanoi People's Procuracy at the court. Photo: Danh Lam

The People's Procuracy deems the defendants' criminal acts severe. These acts directly infringe upon State agencies' proper operations and integrity, corrupting public officials. Judicial corruption diminishes anti-corruption efforts, reduces law enforcement credibility, impacts legal fairness, and erodes public trust.

Bringing this case to trial demonstrates a firm resolve against crime. It signals that no one is above the law; anyone, regardless of position, will face prosecution for legal violations.

Defendants, possessing legal knowledge and criminal responsibility, include many legal experts. However, personal motives led them to intentionally commit these crimes. Therefore, the People's Procuracy proposes that when determining sentences, the trial panel should consider the highest penalties for those who received bribes, followed by those who brokered bribes, and then those who gave bribes.

Considering the criminal acts' nature, extent, and total bribe amounts—including aggravating and mitigating factors—the People's Procuracy deems the proposed sentences lenient, deterrent, and educational. These include five suspended sentences (9-18 months), one individual recommended for time served, and others for 1-8 years in prison.

Defendant Pham Tan Hoang, former Deputy Chief Justice of the High People's Court in Da Nang. Photo: Danh Lam

During the two days of questioning, all defendants confessed to their crimes, except for Mr. Pham Tan Hoang. He denied the alleged amount, maintaining that he acted lawfully, judged cases correctly, and was not influenced by anyone.

Mr. Cuong stated that whenever asked for favors, he sought the Chief Justice's opinion. When he received bribes, he passed the money to his superiors, and if they disagreed, he returned the money to the person who requested the favor. He admitted wrongdoing but requested consideration of the 'incomplete crime' provision for cases where money was returned.

The trial continues.

Thanh Lam