3 former deputy department directors in the "rescue flight" phase 2 case ask for reduced sentences
After more than 2 months of the first-instance criminal trial of 17 defendants in the second phase of the “Rescue Flight” case, on March 4, the Hanoi People’s Court received an appeal from defendant Tran Tung (former Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Thai Nguyen province). In the appeal, defendant Tran Tung requested the Hanoi High People’s Court to consider and reduce his sentence.
In addition, there are 10 other defendants alsoappealincluding: Nguyen Van Van (former Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Quang Nam province), Le Ngoc Tuong (former Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province), Tran Thi Quyen (Director of Sen Vang Dat Viet Company), Dang Nhat Duc (Director of Top Agent Japan Co., Ltd.), Vu Hoang Dung (residing in Xuan La ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi), Tran Thanh Nha (residing in ward 3, Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City);
Nguyen Manh Cuong (Head of E-Commerce Department of Vietjet Air Commercial Joint Stock Company), Bui Dang Khoa (Director of World Travel One Member Co., Ltd.), Pham Quoc Thang (Director of PNR Co., Ltd.), Truong Thi My Dung (Director of Anh Sao Thien Tourism Service Trading One Member Co., Ltd.).
In their appeals, all defendants asked for a reduction in their sentences and a suspended sentence. The defendants expressed their hope that the Hanoi High People's Court would consider the extent, behavior, and context of their crimes to grant them greater leniency and the opportunity to return to their families and the community soon.
Previously, from December 24 to 27, 2024, the Hanoi People's Court opened the first-instance trial of the "Rescue Flight" case, phase 2, and sentenced 17 defendants for the crimes of "Receiving bribes", "Giving bribes", "Abusing positions and powers while performing official duties" and "Concealing criminals".
According to the first instance verdict, in the process of organizing rescue flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back from abroad when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out and became complicated, taking advantage of the Party and State's policies and assigned positions and powers, a number of individuals at the People's Committees of provinces and cities agreed to give and receive bribes, and violated their official duties to advise and propose approving policies for businesses to bring citizens back to the country for medical quarantine in their localities.
The defendants directly or through intermediaries colluded and agreed with officials of the Ministry of Health to give and receive bribes in large sums of money to obtain approval documents for citizens (individual passengers) to return on individual flights. In addition, there were also defendants who took advantage of their positions to guide and incite related people to make false statements, conceal crimes, and obstruct the investigation and clarification of crimes by the authorities.
