Former teacher cheated his way into the police force and appropriated billions

Nghe An Provincial People's Court has just opened a first-instance criminal trial of Truong Thi Thu (born in 1959), residing in Dien Ky commune, Dien Chau district, for the crime of "Fraudulent appropriation of property".

According to the investigation agency's documents, Truong Thi Thu is a retired official who used to work in the education sector. After retiring, Thu ran a motel and did business.

Between mid-2012 and March 2017, taking advantage of the trust and job needs of many people, Truong Thi Thu introduced herself as having connections with many people in positions of authority who could help her apply for jobs in the police force or request a transfer. After the victims trusted her and handed over money and job applications, Thu did not apply for jobs as promised but instead appropriated their money for personal use.

Defendant Truong Thi Thu. Photo: Tran Vu

Thu defrauded and appropriated 1.3 billion VND from Ms. Duong Thi Th. (residing in Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City). Around September 2014, through an acquaintance, Ms. Th. met Thu to ask her to help her son, who had graduated from the National Economics University, get a job in the police force. Thu told Ms. Th. that she would help her son get a job at the Economic Police Department for a fee of 1 billion VND. Trusting her, within 3 months, Ms. Th. transferred 800 million VND to Thu.

Ms. Th. continued to introduce her friend in Ha Tinh to help her son get a job in the police force for 500 million VND. At the end of 2014, Thu asked Ms. Th. to take her son and her friend's son for a health check at Hospital 198 of the Ministry of Public Security. However, this was just a way Thu "created" to deceive the victims. After the promised time, Truong Thi Thu could not get a job as promised. Ms. Th. asked for her money back many times, but Thu could only pay 20 million VND.

With the same trick, Thu defrauded and appropriated 550 million VND from Ms. Nguyen Thi Th. (residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city). In 2012, through an acquaintance, Thu knew Ms. Th. Thu introduced herself as an acquaintance of many high-ranking leaders, so she could help many people get into the police force. Trusting her, Ms. Th. immediately asked Thu to help her son get a job. Thu offered 400 million VND on the condition that Ms. Th.'s son had to do police service and then become a member of the staff. From the end of 2012 to August 2013, Ms. Th. gave 400 million VND to Thu, then sent her son to join the army at the Ha Giang Provincial Police.

Later, Thu Vien made excuses and asked Ms. Th. to give her an additional 150 million VND to compensate the leaders. In early September 2016, Ms. Th.'s son was not recruited into the police force after he left the army, so Ms. Th. asked Thu to return the money but was refused.

The investigation agency determined that Truong Thi Thu had defrauded 9 victims in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Ha Giang of more than 4.2 billion VND. The defendant returned more than 1 billion VND to the victims. During the investigation, Thu did not cooperate with the investigation agency, did not sign the procedural documents, and did not confess to the crimes she had committed.

At the trial, the defendant also did not admit to the crime. Thu said that he only borrowed money from the victims. Meanwhile, the victims presented evidence proving the defendant Thu's fraud.

The court determined that, during the investigation and at the trial, although the defendant did not admit to the crime, the evidence of the investigation agency and the victims' statements were sufficient grounds to prove the defendant Thu's act of fraud and property appropriation.

Considering the case as a whole, the court sentenced Truong Thi Thu to 20 years in prison for “fraudulent appropriation of property”. The defendant was required to return the money she had appropriated to the victims.