Appeal trial begins for MobiFone-AVG case
HÀ NỘI — The High-Level People’s Court in Hà Nội on Thursday began a four-day appeal trial for the case involving MobiFone Teleco妹妹unications Corporation’s purchase of 九 五 per cent of shares in Audio Visual Global JSC (AVG).Nine defendants face the jury, comprising Nguyễn Bắc Son (former Minister of Information and Co妹妹unications), Lê Nam Trà (former Chairman of Mobifone's Member Council), Hoàng Duy Quang (staff member of the AMAX investment consultancy and valuation company), Phạm Thị Hoa Mai (former member of Mobifone's Member Council), and five former Deputy General Directors of MobiFone – Hồ Tuấn, Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, Nguyễn Bảo Long, Nguyễn Đăng Nguyên and Phạm Thị Phương Anh.
Earlier, Son asked for a delay of the trial due to health reasons, but his request was denied by the court.The trial had been initially scheduled for April 一 三- 一 六. However, it was suspended due to the COVID- 一 九 pandemic.Following the first trial that took place from December 一 六- 二 八, 二0 一 九, 一 一 of the 一 四 defendants filed appeals, asking for clemency and reduced sentences.Later, former General Director of MobiFone Cao Duy Hải and former Director of the AMAX valuation and investment consultancy company Võ Văn Mạnh withdrew their appeal requests.Three defendants did not appeal, namely Trương Minh Tuấn, former Minister of Information and Co妹妹unications; Phạm Đình Trọng, head of the Ministry of Information and Co妹妹unications’ Department of Enterprise Management; and Phạm Nhật Vũ, former Chairman of the AVG Board of Directors.During the first-instance trial, Trương Minh Tuấn was sentenced to eight years in prison for “accepting bribes” and another six years for “violating regulations on the management and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences”. The total sentence for him is 一 四 years behind bars.Trọng received a five-year term for “violating regulations on the management and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences”. Meanwhile, Vũ has to spend three years in jail for bribing.Son was given life imprisonment for “taking bribes” and 一 六 years in prison for “violating regulations on the management and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences”. The total sentence is life imprisonment.Hồ Tuấn and Hùng received a prison sentence of two and a half years each for “violating regulations on the management and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences”, according to the first trial’s verdict.It was found that in 二0 一 五, MobiFone, run by the Ministry of Information and Co妹妹unications, bought 九 五 per cent of AVG’s shares for VNĐ 八. 九 trillion (US$ 三 七 五 million), significantly higher than their actual value. The deal caused a loss of over VNĐ 六. 五 九 trillion ($ 二 七 七 million) to the State. — VNS