The prosecutor strongly countered the lawyer's comparison to the Phuc Son bidding fraud case, highlighting a harsher sentence recommendation for Thuan An's chairman despite lower damages.

Lawyer argues Pham Thai Ha's advocacy for Thuan An Group was "wrong but not overly dangerous," not warranting the heavy sentence proposed by the procuracy.

Defendant Nguyen Duy Hung suggested that the violations in five state-funded projects were partly due to the long-standing 'ask-give' mechanism, and hopes the case will be a lesson for other businesses to proactively avoid similar situations.

Accused of influencing bid outcomes, Pham Thai Ha admitted guilt but asked the court to consider the "unforeseeable risks" inherent in his role.

Prosecuted for illicitly securing two multi-billion dong projects, former chairman Nguyen Duy Hung claimed in court that he only accepted the low-value projects as a favor to local authorities.

Thuan An Group won five billion-dollar contracts thanks to three preferential treatments: backdoor dealings with officials to tailor bidding documents; secret pre-bid evaluations; and tampering with sealed bids.