On 15/9, the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Court partially accepted Nhat Nguyen's appeal, reducing his sentence from 9 years to 8 years for fraud.
The court upheld the prosecutor's view, stating that despite Nguyen's plea of innocence, the evidence sufficiently proved his guilt.
Specifically, the court confirmed that Ms. Cuc's residence was not a legally recognized religious establishment and lacked government authorization for religious gatherings. Those living there were not ordained monks or nuns, and the children were not orphans, as evidenced by household registration documents and DNA testing. Aggravating factors included Nguyen's repeated offenses and targeting individuals over the age of 70.
However, the court acknowledged Nguyen's efforts to have his family and lawyer pay over 270 million VND in restitution as a mitigating factor, leading to the sentence reduction.
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Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen at the court. Photo: Nam An |
Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen at the court. Photo: Nam An
According to the initial judgment, in 2015, Mr. Le Tung Van, along with Nhat Nguyen, Hoan Nguyen, 13 others, and several children, moved into Ms. Cao Thi Cuc's house in Lap Thanh Hamlet, Hoa Khanh Tay Commune (formerly Duc Hoa District, Long An Province).
The group subsequently declared the residence "Tinh that Bong Lai," with Mr. Van proclaiming himself the "abbot." They shaved their heads, donned monastic robes, addressed each other as "teacher," "master," and "disciple," and performed ordination ceremonies.
Nhat Nguyen, Hoan Nguyen, and Mr. Van appeared on social media, presenting their residence as a Buddhist temple and themselves as monks, while falsely claiming the children living there were orphans.
Nhat Nguyen and Hoan Nguyen posted their phone numbers and bank account details on the YouTube channel "5 Little Monks - Thien Am Riverside Universe" with the message: "For all support, sponsorship, assistance, and advertising, please contact the two teachers directly raising the children."
The investigation determined that through this deception, Nhat Nguyen defrauded donors of over 365 million VND between 2018 and 2021 for personal gain.
On 4/1/2022, at a cafe in Hamlet 3A, Huu Thanh Commune, Duc Hoa District, authorities discovered Nhat Nguyen receiving 100 million VND from a donor and brought him in for questioning.
The victim stated that after viewing videos on the "5 Little Monks - Thien Am Riverside Universe" channel, they believed the location was a temple and the children were orphans. Upon visiting, they saw Buddha statues and were told by Nhat Nguyen that the ongoing construction was for a temple and accommodations for the children. From early December 2021 to early January 2022, the victim donated 100 bags of cement, construction funds, and money for the children, totaling over 100 million VND.
Similarly, two others, believing Nhat Nguyen's claims, donated over 250 million VND. Upon discovering the fraudulent activities, the donors reported the case to the authorities.
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Police escort the defendant after the trial. Photo: Nam An |
Police escort the defendant after the trial. Photo: Nam An
In July 2022, Nhat Nguyen, Hoan Nguyen, and Trung Duong were each sentenced to 4 years in prison for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, organizations, and individuals. Le Thanh Nhi Nguyen (27 years old, one of Mr. Van's sons) received a sentence of 3 years and 6 months, while Ms. Cuc received 3 years for the same offense. Mr. Le Tung Van was sentenced to 5 years but has yet to serve his time due to poor health.
The verdict stated that from 2019 to 2021, Mr. Van directed Le Thanh Hoan Nguyen and Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen to film, stage, and post videos containing false information, negatively impacting public opinion, and defaming the Duc Hoa District Police and the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha of Long An Province. Nhat Nguyen has already completed this sentence.
In a separate case in mid-May, Mr. Le Tung Van was sentenced by the Duc Hoa District People's Court to 3 years in prison for incest. Combined with his previous 5-year sentence for abusing democratic freedoms, he faces a total of 8 years imprisonment.
Nam An
