Defendant Dinh La Thang wishes to die in the arms of his loved ones.
"Regarding my family, my father is elderly and suffers from a serious illness. I have two daughters; the second one is 22 years old this year but has an unstable situation and desperately needs her father's care," defendant Dinh La Thang said at the end of his self-defense statement.
Video: Defendant Dinh La Thang speaks at the trial session on the afternoon of January 13th.
Defendant Dinh La Thang.
This evening (January 13), at the end of his self-defense statement, defendant Dinh La Thang emphasized that under any circumstances, he will always remain loyal to the Fatherland and the people, always trust in the leadership of the Party, absolutely trust in the leadership of the General Secretary, the Politburo, the Central Committee, and especially, absolutely trust in the fair, objective, equal, and comprehensive handling of the case, based on legal grounds and the practical aspects of the case, ensuring fairness for him as well as other defendants.
"After this case, the defendant will continue to appear in court for the next case concerning the investment of 800 billion VND in OceanBank. I hope the panel of judges will consider a suitable and humane sentence, because at the same time, the defendant, as the head and leader, should have been prosecuted under Clause 3, Article 165 of the Penal Code for both offenses. Now, separating the cases for prosecution is very disadvantageous to the defendant," said defendant Dinh La Thang.
According to defendant Dinh La Thang, while strictly handling violations creates opportunities for officials to correct their mistakes, improve, and rectify their shortcomings, he himself will likely no longer have the opportunity to correct or rectify his mistakes.
“Regarding my own family, my father is elderly and suffering from a serious illness. I have two daughters, the second of whom is 22 years old this year but is in an unstable situation and desperately needs her father's care. Being charged with two separate cases means that I may not be able to see my father before he passes away, nor will I be able to care for my family and my second daughter. Furthermore, if I am convicted of two cases, I don't know if I will still be alive to serve my sentence if the court imposes a verdict,” said defendant Dinh La Thang.
“I myself suffer from many illnesses. I'm not just mentioning this now in court; since 2006, the Central Health Care Board has provided me with daily medication for many ailments. My only final wish is to serve my sentence and, before I die, to be released, to die at home, surrounded by loved ones, family, and friends. I also hope that if I die, I will be a free ghost, not a prisoner's ghost. That's all I wish for. Once again, I thank you,” defendant Dinh La Thang said, his voice choked with emotion.
