Business trip, bank account 'evaporated' 30 billion VND

The Hue City People's Court has concludedVIB must be responsible for the loss of 30 billion VND in the Hydropower Company's account and must return this amount to the company.

Recently, the People's Court of Hue City (Thua Thien - Hue) held a first-instance trial of the civil case "Dispute over property recovery" between the plaintiff, the Central Vietnam Hydropower Investment Joint Stock Company, and the defendant, the Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB).

Suing for not directly withdrawing money, 30 billion still "disappeared"

According to the verdict of the Hue City People's Court, on June 23, 2011, in the account of the Hydropower Company opened by Ms. Phan Thi Hong Van, residing in Truong An Ward, Hue City, holding the position of Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and General Director as representative, at VIB Bank, Hue branch, an amount of 30 billion VND arose.

On the same day, the Hydropower Company made a withdrawal of the entire amount in cash at VIB Hue branch. The withdrawal document had the signature and valid seal of the account owner, Ms. Van.

However, Ms. Phan Thi Hong Van said that at the time the 30 billion VND in the Hydropower Company's account was withdrawn in cash, she was in Hanoi. To prove this, Ms. Van submitted to the Investigation Agency evidence proving that this was true.

On that basis, Ms. Phan Thi Hong Van affirmed that she was not the person who directly and did not authorize anyone to withdraw the amount of 30 billion VND at VIB bank, Hue branch.

According to the plaintiff, the person who withdrew 30 billion VND from the Hydropower Company's account at VIB Bank Hue branch was Ms. Le Thi Le Hang, Director of VIB Truong Tien, Hue branch, where Ms. Van regularly transacted.

The plaintiff stated that on November 23, 2016, when the Hydropower Company's account had a withdrawal amount of 30 billion VND, Ms. Hang arbitrarily filled in the information on the withdrawal form signed and stamped by Ms. Phan Thi Hong Van to execute the withdrawal order.

Then, according to the investigation conclusion No. 05/KLĐT/PC64 of the PC64 Investigation Agency, Hue City Police, Hang divided this amount of money into small amounts and transferred it to the accounts of several other organizations and individuals, including transferring 900 million VND to Ms. Van.

Investigation conclusion No. 05 of PC64 Hue City confirmed that the entire amount of 30 billion VND has not left VIB Bank.

In addition, according to the interrogation of the investigating agency against the defendant Le Thi Le Hang, she admitted that the Central Vietnam Hydropower Investment Joint Stock Company did not execute the cash withdrawal order for the amount of 30 billion VND on June 23, 2011, but that she herself did it based on the documents that Ms. Van had previously signed and stamped.

From the above factors, the first-instance panel of the Hue City People's Court determined that the lawsuit filed by the Central Vietnam Hydropower Investment Joint Stock Company to reclaim its assets was well-founded.

According to DSPL