The People's Court of District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, has temporarily suspended the case concerning the annulment of an illegal marriage, divorce, and asset dispute between 54-year-old Ho Ngoc Tien Trung, owner of the Dai Nam cosmetic dental chain, and his 48-year-old wife, Ngoc Anh. The Trial Panel stated that the temporary suspension period had ended, but the issues requiring resolution remained unaddressed, preventing the trial from proceeding. The court will resume the case once the reasons for the suspension are resolved.

This suspension comes after the Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security (C01) arrested Ho Ngoc Tien Trung. He faces charges of fraudulent appropriation of property and violations of accounting regulations causing serious consequences.

Ho Ngoc Tien Trung (top row, left) at a divorce hearing in 5/2026. Photo: Hai Duyen

Prosecutors accuse Ho Ngoc Tien Trung of directing Dai Nam Dental to advertise and recommend high-end porcelain veneers while actually using lower-value Aidite materials from China for manufacturing. Despite this, customer records and warranty cards reportedly listed the premium teeth the clients had chosen. C01 alleges that this scheme led customers to pay for premium products but receive inferior ones, with the amount allegedly appropriated exceeding 121 billion VND from 2024 to 5/2026. Additionally, Trung is accused of concealing part of the revenue through multiple accounts and internal bookkeeping systems, and of dispersing the operations of 46 clinics across various legal entities and household owners to reduce declared taxes.

The court accepted the divorce case, involving a disputed asset value reportedly over 1,200 billion VND, in 3/2015. Over the past 10 years, both parties have repeatedly altered their claims, counterclaims, and submitted additional evidence.

At the hearing on 12/5, Ho Ngoc Tien Trung requested an annulment of the marriage, claiming he agreed to marry because he believed his wife was pregnant with his child, only to later discover the child was not biologically his. The dental doctor also asserted that the marriage registration documents contained numerous errors, such as missing identification papers and declarations, and that his signature in the civil registry was not authentic. He refused to divide community property, arguing the marriage was illegitimate, but offered to give his wife 20% of the asset value for "peace of mind."

Ngoc Anh, however, opposed the annulment request, affirming that their marriage was entirely consensual. According to her, the couple knew each other since their student days but faced family opposition. During a period of separation, she became pregnant with another man's child. Upon learning she was six months pregnant and unmarried, Ho Ngoc Tien Trung reportedly sought his family's permission to marry her, promising to care for both her and the child. They subsequently attended marriage counseling, held a wedding in 10/2001, and registered their marriage in 2003. She stated that her husband also agreed for her daughter to bear his surname on the birth certificate. The couple lived together for over 20 years, jointly building assets valued at over 1,200 billion VND, including properties, bank deposits, and a dental chain with 38 facilities.

Hai Duyen