The Appeals Court of the Supreme People's Court in Hanoi commenced an appeal hearing on the morning of 15/12. The court is reviewing requests for reduced or suspended sentences from 12 individuals implicated in the major case involving Phuc Son Group.

Ten of these defendants are former Vinh Phuc province officials. Notably, Phung Quang Hung, the former chairman of the Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee, requested to be tried in absentia, citing a recent fall that led to his hospitalization.

During her more than 4 minutes of testimony, former Vinh Phuc provincial party secretary Hoang Thi Thuy Lan appeared distraught. She bowed her head and her voice repeatedly broke while discussing her personal and family circumstances.

Lan recounted a childhood marked by hardship, having lost her father early. She stated that her husband is currently battling a critical illness, and one of her daughters was born blind in one eye, rendering her unable to work or care for herself. Lan herself suffers from heart disease and high blood pressure, describing her current health as "very weak."

Lan testified that she served as provincial party secretary for over 8 years, during which she dedicated all her time, passion, and intellect to her duties. She claimed these efforts transformed Vinh Phuc from a struggling province into a national leader in economic development.

"In the early years of my tenure as provincial party secretary, Vinh Phuc's budget revenue was quite low," Lan stated at the appeal trial. "However, the provincial party committee and I subsequently steered the economy to develop rapidly. Over many years, the province's budget revenue gradually rose to the top of the country."

Concluding her statement, the former provincial party secretary reiterated her "clear understanding of her wrongdoing" and expressed hope for the court's consideration.

Beyond returning the 47.9 billion VND she received in bribes, Lan proposed using two land plots she acquired from Phuc Son Group Chairman Nguyen Van Hau to further mitigate the case's overall impact.

Hoang Thi Thuy Lan at today's trial. Photo: Pham Du

The presiding judge confirmed reviewing Lan's requests for leniency. He also noted new mitigating factors, including her distinguished career record, a labor medal from Laos, a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister, and Vinh Phuc province's "grassroots emulation fighter" title. Furthermore, numerous agencies and sectors submitted petitions for a reduced sentence on her behalf.

Case documents reveal that to secure preferential treatment for four real estate projects, covering 347 hectares in Vinh Tuong district and facing potential revocation, the Phuc Son Group chairman delivered "thank you" payments 24 times. These payments, in suitcases of money, were made to the offices and private residences of several Vinh Phuc provincial officials. Lan received the largest sum: 25 billion VND and 1 million USD.

Former chairman Le Duy Thanh garnered petitions from 2,000 individuals requesting a reduced sentence.

In addition to Lan, former Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee Chairman Le Duy Thanh and former Standing Deputy Provincial Party Secretary Pham Hoang Anh also filed appeals.

During the first-instance trial, Lan, Thanh, and Hoang Anh were each sentenced to 14 years in prison for accepting bribes.

The trial panel noted several mitigating circumstances for Thanh during the appeal review. These included petitions for leniency from numerous educational and medical institutions, Vietnamese heroic mothers, businesses, and over 2,000 individuals. Additionally, his poor health, a history of metabolic disorders, and his family's extensive charitable and volunteer work in disaster relief were considered.

The defendants at this morning's trial. Photo: Pham Du

Prior to the trial, many defendants petitioned the court, voluntarily offering to deposit additional funds into the state budget for social good. Former chairman Thanh specifically requested to contribute an extra 200 million VND as a gesture of "remorse and repentance."

Thanh was among the two individuals accused of receiving the largest bribes in the case, allegedly granting preferential treatment to Hau for projects in Vinh Phuc. From the investigation phase, Thanh was recognized for his candid confessions, repentance, active cooperation in clarifying the case, and voluntarily returning 25.5 billion VND and 1.63 million USD. This amount exceeded the 20 billion VND and 1.3 million USD he was accused of receiving in bribes.

The trial is scheduled to resume this afternoon and is expected to conclude by 17/12.

The first-instance sentences for the 12 appealing individuals are as follows:

Pham Du