Ministry of Public Security concludes investigation into case at Oceanbank

On October 6, according to a source from the Investigation Police Agency, Ministry of Public Security, the Investigation Police Agency has concluded the investigation and proposed to prosecute Ha Van Tham, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ocean Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Oceanbank) and his accomplices for the crimes of: Violating regulations on lending in the operations of credit institutions; Intentionally violating State regulations causing serious consequences, Fraudulent appropriation of property and Abusing position and power while performing official duties at Oceanbank and related units.

Defendant Ha Van Tham during his time in office. (Photo: vov.vn)

The police investigation agency determined that this was a case with particularly serious consequences, with the assistance of many subjects from the Head Office to branches and transaction offices in the entire Oceanbank system, causing particularly large losses to the bank's and the State's assets, adversely affecting the country's economic situation, and negatively affecting the implementation of the State's financial and monetary policies. In this case, Ha Van Tham, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oceanbank, was the main subject, leading the criminal activities, with the effective assistance of accomplices.

According to the investigation conclusion of the Investigation Police Agency, Ministry of Public Security, during the process of operating Oceanbank, by means of establishing "backyard" companies, Ha Van Tham took advantage of his position and authority to direct subordinates to commit many illegal acts, using many tricks to withdraw money from the bank for personal use, causing losses of thousands of billions of dong that could not be recovered.

During his participation and management of Oceanbank, as the head of the bank, Ha Van Tham directed the Board of Directors of Oceanbank to resolve loans that did not meet loan conditions, had no collateral, and customers used loans for the wrong purposes, contrary to the State Bank's regulations on lending regulations and Oceanbank's lending processes and procedures, directly causing damage to Oceanbank of VND 500 billion.

Ha Van Tham understood the regulations of the State Bank on credit activities and foreign exchange trading, however, in order to mobilize capital from the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Tham agreed to pay money outside the deposit contract to Nguyen Xuan Son (born in 1962, from Ha Tinh, former General Director of Oceanbank) as requested.

The defendants Tham and Nguyen Xuan Son discussed and agreed on the policy of "collecting fees" from customers through BSC Company and implemented it, causing a loss of 70 billion VND to Oceanbank and customers. In addition, Ha Van Tham also directed and agreed with Oceanbank's leaders on the policy of paying money in addition to the mobilization interest rate for customers depositing money at Oceanbank, exceeding the mobilization ceiling according to the regulations of the State Bank, causing a loss of more than 984 billion VND to Oceanbank.

The Ministry of Public Security's investigation agency proposed to prosecute Ha Van Tham for the following crimes: Violating regulations on lending in the operations of credit institutions; Abusing position and power while performing official duties; Intentionally violating State economic regulations causing serious consequences.

In addition to prosecuting the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oceanbank, the Ministry of Public Security's investigation agency also proposed to prosecute other defendants: Nguyen Xuan Son, former General Director of Oceanbank; Nguyen Minh Thu, former General Director of Oceanbank, were also proposed to be prosecuted for the crimes of: Abusing position and power while performing official duties and Intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences. Nguyen Van Hoan, former Deputy General Director of Oceanbank, was proposed to be prosecuted for the crimes of: Violating regulations on lending in the activities of credit institutions and Abusing position and power while performing official duties. According to the investigation conclusion, there is no document proving that Mr. Hoan has personally benefited, so the police investigation agency proposed to consider reducing the sentence when prosecuting and trying.

Pham Hoang Giang, former General Director of BSC Vietnam Company, was proposed to be prosecuted for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties". The defendants Nguyen Xuan Thang, former Deputy Director of Oceanbank's Customer and Strategic Partner Division; Le Thi Thu Thuy, former Deputy General Director of Oceanbank; Vu Thi Thuy Duong, former Director of Domestic Accounting and Transaction Division; Nguyen Hoai Nam, former Director of Capital Division; Nguyen Thi Thu Ba, former Director of Individual Customer Division; Do Dai Khoi Trang, former Director of Individual Customer Division; Le Tuan Anh, former Director of Thang Long branch; Nguyen Minh Dao, former Director of Hanoi branch; Ngo Hai Nam, former Director of Hai Phong branch; Le Quynh An, former Director of Nghe An branch; Nguyen Quoc Chien, former Director of Saigon branch; Hoang Bich Van, former Director of Ho Chi Minh City branch, were also proposed to be prosecuted for the crime of "Intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences".

The case of Ha Van Tham and his accomplices at Oceanbank and a number of related units is one of six major corruption and economic cases that the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption has agreed to bring to trial from now until the end of 2016 and in the first quarter of 2017./.

According to the Communist Party of Vietnam