Nghe An: Second postponement of trial of "beauty" who embezzled over 50 billion VND
(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of May 16, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened the first-instance criminal trial of defendant Nguyen Thi Lam (born in 1987), former employee of the Do Luong Transaction Office, Vietnam Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank) branch in Vinh City and 15 other defendants in the case of "embezzling" more than 50 billion VND. However, the trial was once again postponed.
Defendant Nguyen Thi Lam was prosecuted for the crime of “Fraudulent appropriation of property”. The two defendants, Dang Dinh Hong (born in 1973, former Director of Eximbank Do Luong Transaction Office) and Tran Kim Thoa (born in 1982, former Deputy Head of Credit Department of Eximbank Vinh Branch) were both prosecuted for the crime of “Intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences”.
13 other defendants, former employees of the above two units, were also prosecuted for the crime of "Intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences" including: Ho Thanh Huyen (born in 1979), Nguyen Thi Hien (born in 1986), Dang Thi Thanh Huyen (born in 1984), Bui Van Truong (born in 1974), Nguyen Thi Huong Giang (born in 1984), Nguyen Thi Hai Nga (born in 1983), Nguyen Thi Trang (born in 1989), Le Thi Thu Ha (born in 1987), Vuong Thi Ha (born in 1986), Tran Thi Hoai Thu (born in 1987), Bui Nhu Chuong (born in 1988), Phan Thi Vinh (born in 1982), Hoang Anh Tuan (born in 1984).
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| The defendants were brought to trial on the morning of May 16. Photo: Phuong Thao |
At the trial on the morning of May 16, a number of people with related rights and obligations were absent. To ensure objectivity and fairness, the panel of judges decided to postpone the trial and will hold a trial at another time.
Previously, on April 26, the People's Court of Nghe An province decided to bring the case to trial. However, the trial had to be postponed because on April 20, the People's Court of Nghe An province received a request to postpone the trial from Mr. Le Van Quyet - General Director of Vietnam Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank, on the grounds that April 26 was too close to the time Eximbank held its shareholders' meeting.
Defendant Nguyen Thi Lam (born in 1987), residing in Yen Huong hamlet, Yen Son commune, Do Luong district. Lam worked as an accountant at a family business for a while, then at the end of 2010, she started a probationary period at Eximbank Vinh branch.
In March 2011, Lam was hired as a cashier at the Do Luong Transaction Office, Eximbank Vinh City Branch, with the task of collecting and disbursing cash, checking customers' loan applications, mobilizing capital, lending according to targets...
Still young, having worked at Eximbank for just over 5 years, but then people noticed that Lam had become unusually rich by driving expensive cars, building houses, buying lots of land...
Through the work of grasping the situation, using professional measures, the authorities found that Lam had signs of the crime of "Abuse of trust to appropriate property" under Article 140 of the Penal Code, and project 916E was established.
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| Defendant Nguyen Thi Lam. Photo: Phuong Thao |
On September 19, 2016, the Investigation Agency issued a decision to prosecute the case. At this time, Lam was absent from the locality. Through persuasion, on September 21, 2016, Lam turned himself in and confessed his illegal acts.
On September 24, 2016, Dang Dinh Hong (born in 1973), former Director of Eximbank Do Luong Transaction Office, was urgently arrested. Expanding the investigation, the authorities prosecuted the remaining defendants.
According to the indictment of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province, from 2012 to 2016, Nguyen Thi Lam took advantage of customers' trust, deceived customers into signing payment orders, signed fake payment authorizations, and payment statements.
Every time he needed a customer's signature, Lam used tricks such as paying interest and bonuses to customers and mixing these procedures with documents such as payment orders, cash statements, and payment authorizations for customers to sign in vain.
Then, Lam took it home to legalize the withdrawal or transfer of money. There were also many cases where Lam forged the customer's signature and then took it to the bank staff, lying that he was withdrawing or transferring money on behalf of the customer.
Due to trust in Lam and with the loose direction and management of Dang Dinh Hong - former director of Eximbank Do Luong Transaction Office, bank employees completed procedures for Lam to withdraw and transfer money even though the customer's savings book was in their possession and the customer was not present.
Using the above tricks, Lam withdrew deposits from 6 customers in Nghe An in the Eximbank banking system with a total amount of more than 50 billion VND.