On the morning of 11/9, Chau (56, chairwoman of the board of directors of My Chau Pharmacy Group Investment and Development Co., Ltd.) appeared before the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court on bribery charges.
Due to health issues during her detention, Chau experienced mobility difficulties and required a wheelchair, necessitating assistance from two police officers to enter the courtroom.
Also implicated in the case, Le Quoc Khang (44, singer) and Le Nguyen Hoang Nam (former police officer) face charges of property fraud.
Singer Quoc Khang is not widely known. In addition to his music career, Khang is the director of Le Gia Huy King Hotel Co., Ltd., managing a chain of hotels and several real estate projects in Vung Tau.
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The defendants in court today. Photo: Hai Duyen |
The defendants in court today. Photo: Hai Duyen
Claiming to be the nephew of a former deputy prime minister
The indictment states that in 3/2024, Chau met Khang through an acquaintance. The singer introduced himself as the "nephew of a former deputy prime minister". Believing Khang had "extensive connections", on 14/5/2024, Chau asked him to secure bail for her acquaintance, Thai Khac Hoang (a defendant in a property embezzlement case), allowing his family to visit him.
Khang agreed and contacted Le Nguyen Hoang Nam (then a police officer in Ward 5, District 10) to explore options. Nam agreed and requested a 200 million VND contract for legal services from a lawyer of his choosing.
To gain Chau's trust, Khang guaranteed success, setting the price at 7 billion VND. Between 16/5/2024 and 21/5/2024, the singer visited Chau's residence twice to collect the money. Khang only gave Nam 480 million VND, using the rest for personal expenses.
When Hoang remained in custody, Chau repeatedly pressed Khang and Nam, but they failed to deliver. Realizing she had been deceived, Chau filed a complaint.
During the investigation, Chau revealed that of the 7 billion VND given to Khang, 1 billion VND was her own money, and the rest was borrowed.
Khang admitted he had no ability to secure Hoang's release, but he "trusted Nam's promises". He used Chau's money to settle his own debts.
The former police officer initially admitted receiving 450 million VND from Khang, spending 200 million VND on a lawyer for Hoang. He later changed his statement, claiming to have received only 150 million VND.
Hai Duyen
