On August 7, after proceedings against Quach Moc Tan, director of An Lac Tan Company, and his accomplices for alleged social housing fraud and "ghost" projects, the trial panel decided to return the case file for further investigation.
The court requested clarification on potential overlooked crimes, including the roles of involved individuals and the cash flow from An Lac Tan Company to Hoang Phuc Company, the developer of The Western Capital project in the former District 6.
One key issue the trial panel requested clarification on is the 150 billion VND reflected in a "loan" contract between Hoang Phuc Company and defendant Tan.
Earlier, during questioning and debate, lawyers representing the victims provided documents related to this contract.
Lawyers and victims urged clarification on the nature of the 150 billion VND, specifically whether it originated from Tan's alleged fraudulent activities with customers and was then transferred to the developer. Consequently, they proposed considering Hoang Phuc Company's joint liability for the embezzled customer funds.
Some victims also requested clarification on the roles of Hoang Phuc Company's leadership during the period the company signed cooperation agreements with Tan, as well as the deputy general director of finance at An Lac Tan Company.
According to the victims, the case file includes a document from Hoang Phuc Company introducing Tan to the Department of Construction to handle licensing and social housing apartment sales. Subsequently, Tan signed contracts and received deposits from numerous customers, including those ineligible to purchase social housing.
In court, Tan admitted wrongdoing and accepted responsibility. However, when the trial panel and lawyers repeatedly asked where the money collected from social housing buyers was used, the defendant stated he "didn't remember", only mentioning expenses for "diplomacy" and company operations.
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Defendant Quach Moc Tan and accomplices in court. Photo: Binh Nguyen |
236 customers paid 133 billion VND for apartments
According to the indictment, An Lac Tan Company was not authorized by Hoang Phuc Company to sell social housing apartments in Block A2 of The Western Capital project. These apartments had not received price approval, and Block A3 lacked a construction permit.
Nevertheless, Tan independently created apartment codes, areas, and prices that did not align with actual planning, then advertised and offered them for sale through An Lac Tan Company and Thien Loc Land Company.
Tan and his accomplices subsequently signed transfer agreements for social and commercial housing apartments in the two blocks, allegedly embezzling 133 billion VND from 236 customers; 161 of whom filed complaints.
Beyond The Western Capital, Tan and his accomplices are also accused of establishing 4 "ghost" projects in the former Binh Chanh and Binh Thanh areas to solicit funds for land plots.
Prosecutors determined the defendants embezzled a total of over 371 billion VND from numerous customers, repaid over 58 billion VND, with over 315 billion VND still unrecovered.
Nguyen Tan Hoa, deputy director of An Lac Tan Company; Tang Quang Son, director of Quang Son Company; and Nguyen Lai, director of Thien Loc Land Company, are accused of assisting Tan in selling the apartments and "ghost" projects.
Tan alone is also prosecuted for money laundering, accused of using one billion VND obtained from fraudulent activities to purchase land and invest in a business, thereby legitimizing the funds.
Hai Duyen
