On 25/9, Ngo Quang Tu, 51, from Phu Tho province, was sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Hanoi People's Court for fraud. The court ordered Tu to return the embezzled funds, which will be confiscated.

Le Nhat Van, from Hai Phong, and Nguyen Thai Ngon, from Ho Chi Minh City, both 54, received sentences of seven years and six months, and seven years respectively, for bribery.

Tu, a singer and former recipient of the prestigious Meritorious Artist award, admitted to the charges. He claimed financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic led him to defraud the victim, who had sought his help to influence a case at the Supreme People's Court. He expressed remorse and requested leniency.

Defendant Ngo Quang Tu (center) and his two accomplices in court. Photo: Danh Lam

Defendant Ngo Quang Tu (center) and his two accomplices in court. Photo: Danh Lam

The fraud case stemmed from a land dispute between a mother and daughter in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2020, the initial court ruled in favor of the daughter. The mother's subsequent appeal was successful. However, in 12/2022, the Supreme People's Court decided to review the case based on the daughter's petition.

Another daughter, Huong, who supported her mother, asked Van to find someone who could influence the Supreme People's Court to withdraw its review. Van agreed and enlisted Ngon, who then contacted Tu. Tu agreed to help and asked Huong to bring money to Hanoi.

The prosecution stated that on 30/12/2022, Tu asked Hung, a judge at the Supreme People's Court, to influence the withdrawal of the case review and arrange a meeting with Huong. The following evening, Tu took Huong to a seafood restaurant, instructing her to bring 200 million VND as a "gift" for the judge. After hearing the case, Judge Hung said, "If your case is legitimate, I will defend it to the end".

Tu kept the 200 million VND "gift". Huong also gave Tu an additional 50 million VND and transferred another 50 million VND to cover the meal.

Ten days later, Judge Hung informed Tu that he couldn't help because the court's decision to review the case was justified. Despite knowing this, Tu contacted Huong and requested 2 to 3 billion VND to continue working on the case. Upon receiving 2.5 billion VND from Huong, Tu assured her, "I will take responsibility".

On 15/1/2023, Tu arranged another dinner with Judge Hung, ostensibly to reassure Huong that the judge was helping. However, Huong was seated on the first floor while Tu and the judge dined on the second floor, with no interaction between them. After the meal, Tu returned one billion VND to Huong, claiming the judge had returned it out of sympathy for her financial burdens before the Lunar New Year.

In 4/2023, the Supreme People's Court upheld the initial ruling in favor of the daughter, meaning Huong's mother lost the case. Despite the failure, Tu asked Huong for another one billion VND, which she provided.

Two months later, seeing no progress, Huong demanded a refund. Tu stalled, prompting Huong to meet with Judge Hung, who advised her to report the matter to the police. She followed his advice.

Of the 2.8 billion VND Tu received, the prosecution determined that he shared 350 million VND with his accomplices. Huong had also given Van and Ngon 100 million VND each as a thank you for introducing her to Tu.

Authorities determined that Judge Hung was unaware of the 2.8 billion VND transaction and was not involved in the fraud, thus clearing him of any wrongdoing.

While Huong's actions constituted an attempt to influence the legal process, her proactive confession and subsequent report against Tu led authorities to not pursue charges against her.

Hai Thu