On 14/1, Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, 61, Deputy Director of Dai Hung Phat Production Trading Import-Export Co., Ltd., was sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court. Nguyen Sy Huan, 60, who lived with Van as husband and wife, received 7 years for fraudulent appropriation of property.

According to the indictment, Van served as the Deputy Director of Dai Hung Phat Company, which her son managed. She was authorized to oversee business operations.

Facing financial losses and accumulating debts, Van devised a fraud scheme. She introduced herself as a skilled lawyer with extensive connections to state-level leaders, claiming the ability to resolve complex and protracted land disputes.

Believing her, many individuals and organizations signed agreements, entrusting Van with completing land use rights certificates. Around 1/2019, a man named Son sought Van's help to reclaim a 500 million VND deposit from a land purchase in Nha Be district. The service fee was 250 million VND. Van failed to complete the task but later returned the deposit.

Bi cao Nguyen Thi Thanh Van va Nguyen Sy Huan tai toa hom nay. Anh: Binh Nguyen

During this period, Van learned that Son was selling a house in district 7 for 10 billion VND and contacted him, feigning interest in buying it. Van continued to provide false information about her connections to high-ranking leaders, showing fabricated photos taken with them and asserting that the house purchase involved "directives" from these officials. She also boasted about her network for "influencing legal outcomes" and resolving complicated land cases.

After gaining Son's trust, Van proposed a joint venture to resolve the land dispute and complete land use rights certificates, promising Son 50% of the land's value upon completion. They agreed that Son would sell the house to Van for 10 billion VND, with 7,9 billion VND allocated as joint capital. Van committed to returning 2 billion VND to Son for the price difference.

Lacking financial capacity and burdened by multiple debts and bad bank loans, Van had Huan sign the house purchase contract under his name. Huan then mortgaged the house, securing a 6,4 billion VND bank loan. Upon disbursement, Van transferred 2 billion VND to Son and used the remaining amount for company operations, debt repayment, and personal expenses.

Using similar tactics, Van also provided false information about her "connections and influence" to resolve land disputes. She solicited 5 billion VND in capital from a company director to complete the land use rights certificate for 30,000 m2 of land in Dong Nai, promising a share of the profits. The female director, trusting Van, transferred the 5 billion VND, which Van subsequently used for personal purposes.

Additionally, the investigative agency received numerous complaints from more than ten people against Van. However, verification concluded these were civil actions related to borrowing and lending.

At court today, both defendants admitted to their misconduct.