The indictment determined that Mr. Dinh La Thang supported Trinh Xuan Thanh.

Mr. Dinh La Thang at the trial. Photo: Nguyen Khanh

On the afternoon of January 8, the trial of the caseThe case of intentional violations causing damage of 119 billion VND at the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) by Mr. Dinh La Thang, Trinh Xuan Thanh and 20 accomplices continued.

While announcing the defendant's personal history in the case, the representative of the People's Procuracy corrected and supplemented the indictment regarding Mr. Dinh La Thang's position as a National Assembly Representative. At the same time, the People's Procuracy also announced that this position had been suspended by the National Assembly Standing Committee.

After the Procuracy announced the indictment, the trial panel entered the questioning phase and separated the defendants Dinh La Thang and Trinh Xuan Thanh.

The first defendant requested by the court to answer questions is Vu Duc Thuan - former general director of PVC regarding contract number 33.

The panel of judges asked Thuan about the defendant's perception of whether this contract was correct. Thuan presented the contents of the contract. Thuan admitted that this contract was not in accordance with the provisions of the law on contractors.

Defendants at trial. Photo: Nguyen Khanh

According to the indictment announced by the representative of the Hanoi People's Procuracy, Mr. Dinh La Thang - former Chairman of the Board of Directors of PVN was prosecuted for intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences due to many violations in the implementation of the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant project.

Specifically, since December 2007, Mr. Thang brought Trinh Xuan Thanh from Song Hong Corporation to be the general director and chairman of the board of directors of PVC and at the same time created many favorable conditions for PVC to operate.

When PVC was in difficulty, during the implementation of the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant project, Mr. Dinh La Thang assigned PVC to carry out the bidding package for a number of items in the project.

Defendant Trinh Xuan Thanh was escorted to court on the afternoon of January 8. Photo: Nguyen Khanh

From the signing of these contracts, Mr. Thang continued to direct PVN to advance 6.6 million USD and more than 1,300 billion VND to PVC. Afterwards, the defendants at PVC falsified documents to withdraw and misuse the money, contrary to regulations, causing a loss to the State of more than 119 billion VND.

The indictment also determined that after receiving the contract advance payment, the group of defendants at PVC, including Trinh Xuan Thanh, withdrew 13 billion VND for personal expenses. Trinh Xuan Thanh himself was the one who directly requested and directed his subordinates to withdraw the money for him to spend during Tet.

Of the above amount, Trinh Xuan Thanh took 4 billion, Vu Duc Thuan (former general director of PVC) 800 million, Nguyen Anh Minh (former deputy general director of PVC) 3.6 billion; Bui Manh Hien (former chief of PVC Office) 400 million; Luong Van Hoa (former director of the Vung Ang - Quang Trach Project Management Board) 757 million;

Le Thi Anh Hoa and Nguyen Thanh Quynh (directors of outside companies) 1.9 billion (of which 1.1 billion was used to pay value added tax).

Thanh, Thuan, Minh, and Hien use the remaining 1.5 billion together.

Indictment against 22 defendants