Pham Tan Hoang, 59, has been indicted by the Supreme People's Procuracy's (VKSND) Investigation Agency on charges of accepting bribes, violating Clause 2, Article 354 of the Penal Code. A week prior, Hoang surrendered to the VKSND Investigation Agency, confessing to receiving 140 million VND in connection with an appellate hearing.
Hoang, a senior judge, previously served as Chief Justice of the Phu Yen Provincial People's Court before being appointed Deputy Chief Justice of the Da Nang High People's Court in late 2021.
The VKSND Investigation Agency's recent investigative conclusion details Hoang's alleged misconduct. In March 2024, Tran Hoang Dan was sentenced to 15 years in prison for murder by the Dak Lak Provincial People's Court. Dan subsequently appealed the verdict, seeking a reduced sentence.
Through intermediaries, Dan's sister contacted Vo Truong Giang, requesting assistance in contacting the Da Nang High People's Court to secure a reduced sentence for her brother. Giang agreed and connected with Trinh Ninh Binh, the former head of Inspection Division I at the Da Nang High People's Court.
When approached, Binh asked Giang, "Ask how much the defendant's family can afford." Giang explained the family's financial hardship, offering 150 million VND. Binh agreed, stating, "150 million VND will get a 1.5-year reduction." In mid-May 2024, Giang received 150 million VND in cash from Dan's sister and transferred it to Binh's bank account.
Upon receiving the funds, Binh went to Hoang's office to solicit his assistance. Hoang agreed to help reduce Dan's sentence. Binh then made two transfers totaling 140 million VND to Hoang's account.
Several days later, the Da Nang High People's Court held Dan's appeal hearing, presided over by Hoang. The judicial panel reduced Dan's sentence from 15 years to 13 years and 6 months for murder.
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Former Deputy Chief Justice Pham Tan Hoang during a meeting in 1/2025. Photo: Court |
Former Deputy Chief Justice Pham Tan Hoang during a meeting in 1/2025. Photo: Court
The VKSND also alleges that Hoang accepted a bribe to influence a cassation trial involving a deposit contract dispute in Quang Tri province.
Bui Thi Phuong, a former clerk at the Vinh Linh district Civil Judgment Enforcement Sub-Department in Quang Tri province, had a connection to the defendant in the deposit contract dispute. The Quang Tri Provincial People's Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff during the appellate hearing.
The defendant then asked Phuong to contact the Da Nang High People's Court to request a cassation review, aiming to overturn the appellate ruling and dismiss the plaintiff's claims.
Leveraging her network, Phuong contacted Nguyen Thi Nga, the former Deputy Head of the Civil, Labor, and Commercial Inspection Division at the Da Nang High People's Court, seeking assistance. Nga agreed, requesting 130 million VND. Phuong sent Nga a photocopied version of the appellate judgment via Zalo. Upon receiving the document, Nga confirmed she had contacted Judge Hoang for assistance and provided her bank account details to Phuong.
After receiving the money from the defendant, Phuong transferred it to Nga. Both Phuong and Nga confessed to the VKSND's accusations during the investigation. Nga stated that after receiving 130 million VND from Phuong, she delivered 80 million VND in cash to Hoang's office.
In 1/2024, the Da Nang High People's Court held a cassation hearing and subsequently dismissed the plaintiff's claims.
In May, Nga and Phuong were among 16 individuals indicted by the VKSND Investigation Agency for bribery intermediation. In this case, Pham Viet Cuong, the former Deputy Chief Justice of the Da Nang High People's Court (now the Da Nang High People's Court of Appeals), was also prosecuted for bribery.
The Investigation Agency alleges that 23 defendants were involved in 18 incidents of bribery, bribery intermediation, and related offenses concerning judicial proceedings, prosecution, and judgment enforcement.
