On 8/12, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court announced it had not received appeals from Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien (Miss Thuy Tien), Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (also known as Hang Du Muc, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company - CER), and Pham Quang Linh (Quang Linh Vlogs) regarding their sentences for customer deception under Clause 2, Article 198 of the Penal Code.

Other defendants, including Le Tuan Linh (Director and legal representative of CER) and Le Thanh Cong (Board Member), also accepted their respective sentences of three years and three months, and three years, for the same offense.

Nguyen Quoc Cuong, Thuy Tien's lawyer, confirmed that he met with her last week and they agreed not to appeal. Thuy Tien and the other defendants will serve their sentences once the verdict takes effect, provided the Prosecutor's Office does not file an appeal.

"If an appeal were filed, the case could take 4-6 months for an appellate trial. Thuy Tien said she feels immense pressure each time she appears in court, so she chose to accept the first-instance verdict," lawyer Cuong shared.

Miss Thuy Tien at the first-instance hearing on 19/12. Photo: Quynh Tran

Previously, at the hearing on 19/12, Thuy Tien and all defendants in the case admitted their wrongdoing as accused and expressed remorse for their actions.

The first-instance verdict determined that the supplementary candy product SuperGreens Gummies (Kera candy) was a product conceptualized in collaboration by Thuy Tien and other shareholders of CER.

The defendants agreed on a script where Thuy Tien, Quang Linh, and Hang Du Muc would be responsible for filming videos and livestreaming to introduce the product on social media. Miss Thuy Tien also took on the additional role of brand image representative and participated in the company's events and charity activities.

During the research, testing, and production process, Thuy Tien and the Chi Em Rot group, despite being the owners, neglected the product's quality and ingredients. The defendants were aware that the fiber content in each Kera candy was only 0,935%, insufficient to supplement fiber for picky eaters of vegetables. They also knew the origin of the ingredients was unclear, and there was no VietGAP-certified cultivation area or scientific basis for the claim "one candy equals one plate of vegetables." Nevertheless, the company self-declared the product contained 10 types of vegetable powder, accounting for 28,13%.

From 12/12/2024 to 16/1/2025, the group conducted six livestream sessions to advertise the product. Thuy Tien participated in three of these, where she exaggerated the candy's benefits and made false statements about the origin of ingredients and fiber content, asserting claims such as "one candy is equivalent to one plate of boiled vegetables," "if you don't eat vegetables, there's Kera," and "each candy contains 10 types of vegetables and vitamins for fiber." Within two months of advertising, CER sold 129,617 boxes of Kera candy to 56,385 customers, generating 17,5 billion VND in revenue and 12,4 billion VND in illicit profits.

Expert analysis revealed that Kera candy did not contain the 10 types of vegetable and fruit powders as stated on the label and in the company's self-declaration. Instead, it contained an average of 33,8% sorbitol, a laxative that can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain and is contraindicated for individuals with bile duct obstruction, none of which was disclosed on the product label.