Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien received a two-year prison sentence for defrauding customers.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien and Hang Du Muc each to two years in prison for defrauding customers. The court deemed the defendants' actions to be particularly serious.
Sentencing for deceiving customers
On November 19th, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced defendant Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, also known as beauty queen Thuy Tien, to two years in prison for "Deceiving customers" under Clause 2, Article 198 of the Penal Code. Defendant Hang Du Muc received a similar sentence for the same crime.
The trial panel determined that the actions of Thuy Tien and her accomplices were particularly serious, not only violating economic management regulations but also eroding consumer confidence. According to the court, despite being fully aware that the products did not match the advertisements, the defendants intentionally continued to sell them for personal gain and to reap large profits; therefore, they must be severely punished.
However, the court also considered mitigating circumstances such as the defendants' sincere confessions, remorse, active cooperation during the investigation, significant contributions to society, and partial remediation of the consequences. Therefore, the sentences handed down are considered to both uphold the strictness of the law and demonstrate leniency.
The moment after the court pronounced the verdict.
When the judges read the indictment and pronounced the sentence, Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien bowed her head and showed signs of anxiety. After hearing the verdict, she briefly spoke with her lawyer before being escorted out of the courtroom by authorities.
On her way out, Thuy Tien turned back to wave goodbye to her mother, Pham Thi Gam, 46, who had been sitting in the back row watching the entire trial. Mrs. Gam stayed at the court until nearly 6 PM before leaving.
Regarding the defendant Hang Du Muc, when giving her final statement, she cried and mentioned her children. During the sentencing, she appeared distraught and remained silent. However, on the way to the prison van, Hang Du Muc lost her composure and burst into tears.
The other defendants in the case were also escorted out of the courtroom one by one and moved into specialized vehicles.
