Jail sentences pronounced in Mobifone-AVG case

The Hanoi People’s Court on December 28 handed out jail sentences to 14 defendants in relation to the case of MobiFone’s purchase of 95 percent of shares of the Audio Visual Global JSC (AVG).
Jail sentences pronounced in Mobifone-AVG case ảnh 1The defendants at the court (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Hanoi People’s Court onDecember 28 handed out jail sentences to 14 defendants in relation to the caseof MobiFone’s purchase of 95 percent of shares of the Audio Visual Global JSC(AVG).

They were charged with “violating regulations on themanagement and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences”,and “receiving bribes”.

The court declared that former Minister of Information andCommunications Nguyen Bac Son receives life imprisonment while his successorTruong Minh Tuan is jailed for 16 years for the two charges.

Former Chairman of the Mobifone Member Council Le Nam Traand former Mobifone General Director Cao Duy Hai were given 23-year and 14-yearimprisonment sentences, respectively, for both charges.

For nine defendants on charge of “violating regulations onthe management and use of public investment capital, causing seriousconsequences”, the court pronounced that former head of the Ministry ofInformation and Communications (MIC)’s Department of Enterprise Management PhamDinh Trong will stay behind bars for five years; Director of the AMAXinvestment consultancy and valuation company Vo Van Manh three years and sixmonths; and appraiser Hoang Duy Quang three years.

Member of the Mobifone Member Council Phan Thi Hoa Mai andfour Mobifone Deputy General Directors Pham Thi Phuong Anh, Ho Tuan, Nguyen BaoLong and Nguyen Manh Hung were sentenced to two years and six months in jail.

Mobifone Deputy General Director Nguyen Dang Nguyen faced atwo-year jail sentence.

Former Chairman of the AVG Board of Directors Pham Nhat Vu wasgiven a three-year imprisonment sentence for giving bribes.

According to the court, the case is extremely serious,causing a loss of over 6.6 trillion VND (286.9 million USD).

Families of Son, Tuan, Tra, Hai, Quang and AMAX company handedover  about 138 billion VND to the Statebudget to make up for the loss. Banking accounts of Son, Tuan and Tra remainfrozen.

The court also decided to cancel asset seizure order for theuse of land and housing at two different addresses by Son, Tuan and theirspouses.

According to the indictment, in 2015, the MIC-run MobiFonebought 95 percent of AVG with 8.9 trillion VND (382.7 million USD), many timeshigher than the real value of the struggling AVG at that time.

During the purchasing process, Son, Tuan, Tra and Hai madeuse of their positions to speed up the deal without the approval of the PrimeMinister, despite their knowledge of the poor financial and business situationof AVG. The deal caused a loss of over 6.47 trillion VND (278.21 million USD)to the State.

Son also received 3 million USD from AVG Chairman Vu whileTra, Hai and Tuan got 2.5 million USD, 500,000 USD and 200,000 USD,respectively, to accelerate the transaction./.
VNA

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