On 25/7, after a five-day trial, the Hanoi People's Procuracy announced its indictment of 45 defendants involved in extortion, linked to seven debt collection companies operated by the fugitive Le Quoc Thong, 47.

The prosecution described the defendants' actions as dangerous, violating legally protected personal property and disrupting public order. They used intimidation to coerce victims into repaying debts, escalating into illegal activities.

CEO Tran Hong Tien faces 12-14 years in prison. Photo: Danh Lam

CEO Tran Hong Tien faces 12-14 years in prison. Photo: Danh Lam

After considering personal circumstances and mitigating factors, the prosecution viewed all 45 defendants as merely "employees" of Thong.

Most defendants have actively compensated victims, totaling nearly one billion dong, exceeding the 904 million dong they were accused of extorting. Tran Hong Tien, 51, the CEO overseeing the entire operation, made the largest restitution payment of 500 million dong.

Tien, considered the highest-ranking defendant, was aware of his employees' illegal debt collection practices but continued to push for targets, pressuring them to meet collection quotas. However, the prosecution also considered him an employee earning a salary of 40 million dong per month, working under Thong's direction.

The prosecution recommended a sentence of 12-14 years for Tien, the highest in the case.

Next in the hierarchy was Nguyen Duc Khoa, 34, Thong's deputy and CEO of three companies, also heading various departments. These individuals, while not directly involved in debt collection, were aware of the illegal practices but provided support. Khoa faces a recommended sentence of 13-14 years, while department heads face 11-13 years.

Debt collection team leaders and employees face sentences ranging from two years and six months to 10 years and six months, depending on the amount extorted. No suspended sentences were recommended.

The defendants in court. Photo: Danh Lam

The defendants in court. Photo: Danh Lam

In 2018, Thong purchased 238,160 unsecured personal loan accounts from a business for 12-15% of their face value (totaling 3,500 billion dong), receiving borrowers' personal information. Thong then established seven companies and recruited employees to begin collections.

Each employee was tasked with collecting from 400-500 individuals monthly. These 103 employees, mostly in their 20s and 30s, were divided into 11 teams, each with monetary "KPIs". Employees failing to meet quotas for two consecutive months were fired.

Team leaders urged employees to aggressively pursue collections to meet targets and earn commission percentages. The company also provided an automated call center system and voice-changing software.

The prosecution described the debt collection tactics as follows: using multiple burner phone numbers, making incessant calls and sending abusive messages, threatening to harm children, relatives, and colleagues of borrowers to exert pressure.

More aggressive tactics involved manipulating images of borrowers or their relatives into obscene content, spreading false information (unwed pregnancy, prostitution, incest, drug addiction, infidelity) on social media to defame them.

Thong's "ring" collected 571 billion dong through these methods, but only 26 victims have been identified so far, with 904 million dong extorted from them.

The 26 victims did not appear in court but expressed a common desire for strict punishment, waiving compensation claims.

Authorities have delegated to provincial police the task of gathering information on the remaining cases, separating them for processing.

In court, the defendants confessed, claiming ignorance of the law due to limited understanding. Directors, deputy directors, and team leaders, earning tens of millions of dong monthly, denied knowledge of or involvement in instructing employees to use abusive language, threats, or image manipulation.

Thong, identified as the mastermind, remains at large. Investigators have separated his case for processing upon capture.

The trial is ongoing.

Hai Thu