On the afternoon of 1/7, following a two-day trial, the Lam Dong Provincial People's Court sentenced defendant Phan Doan Thai, 64, for the crime of "receiving bribes" under Article 354 of the Penal Code.

Bui Dinh Thoa, former head of the Planning - Finance Department, was sentenced to three years in prison, while Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, a former specialist in the same department, received a three-year suspended sentence. Both were convicted of violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, former Chairwoman and CEO of Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC), and Nguyen Hong Son, former Deputy CEO of AIC, who are currently fugitives, received sentences of 11-12 years in prison.

Defendant Phan Doan Thai at the trial on 1/7. Photo: Nguyen Tu

This marks the 8th case where Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan has been identified as the ringleader. In recent years, local courts have repeatedly identified her as the mastermind, leader, and director of bid rigging and inflated equipment prices, causing serious damage to the state budget. The cumulative sentences for Ms. Nhan total 30 years in prison, the maximum term for a fixed-term prison sentence.

According to the indictment, during 2016-2017, the Binh Thuan Department of Education and Training implemented three procurement packages for smart classroom equipment, totaling over 27.2 billion dong. These packages were part of the "Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System" project.

Before the bidding process, an AIC representative met with Mr. Thai, requesting favorable conditions for the company to secure the contracts. The indictment states that Mr. Thai agreed, subsequently directing his subordinates to cooperate with AIC in modifying bid documents, technical specifications, and bidding procedures to benefit the company.

To ensure AIC won all three packages, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan instructed the use of companies within the AIC ecosystem to act as "front companies" (sham bidders) in the process.

Investigation results revealed that the actual value of the equipment was significantly lower than the price paid, causing losses of over 12.9 billion dong to the budget.

After AIC received payment, Nguyen Hong Son directed his subordinates to distribute a total of 2.543 billion dong to officials of the Binh Thuan Department of Education and Training. Mr. Thai received 2.4 billion dong in two installments, Bui Dinh Thoa received 135 million dong, and Nguyen Ngoc Cuong received 8 million dong.

The trial panel determined that the defendants' actions distorted bidding activities and caused significant damage to the state budget, thus requiring strict penalties.

The court noted that defendants Thai, Thoa, and Cuong made honest declarations and voluntarily remedied the consequences. Mr. Thai and Mr. Thoa also received leniency due to their extensive work achievements, having been awarded commendation certificates and "emulation fighter" titles.

Regarding Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Hong Son, the trial panel stated that their sentences would be enforced once they are apprehended.

Tu Huynh