Trial on MobiFone-AVG deal slated for December 16

The Hanoi People’s Court decided on November 19 to open a first instance trial on the case of the MobiFone’s purchase of 95 percent of shares of the Audio Visual Global JSC (AVG) on December 16.
Trial on MobiFone-AVG deal slated for December 16 ảnh 1Former Ministers of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son (L) and Truong Minh Tuan (Photo: Ministry of Public Security)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Court decided on November 19 to open afirst instance trial on the case of the MobiFone’s purchase of 95 percent ofshares of the Audio Visual Global JSC (AVG) on December 16.

There will be 14 defendants at the trial, which is slated to last untilDecember 31.

Among the defendants there are two former ministers of information andcommunications (MIC) – Nguyen Bac Son and Truong Minh Tuan.

Son, Tuan and 11 others are indicted on the charge of “violatingregulations on the management and use of public capital causing seriousconsequences” under Article 220, Clause 3 of the 2015 Criminal Code.

The 11 other defendants accused of the same charge are Pham Dinh Trong,former head of the MIC’s Department of Enterprise Management; Vo Van Manh andHoang Duy Quang from AMAX investment consultancy and valuation company; three formerMobiFone leaders - Le Nam Tra, Cao Duy Hai and Phan Thi Hoa Mai; and fiveDeputy General Directors of MobiFone – Pham Thi Phuong Anh, Ho Tuan, NguyenDang Nguyen, Nguyen Bao Long and Nguyen Manh Hung.

Meanwhile, Pham Nhat Vu, former AVGChairman is charged with giving bribes inaccordance to Article 364, Clause 4 of the 2015 Criminal Code.

At the same time, Son, Tuan, Hai and Traare charged with receiving bribes under Article 354, Clause 4 of the 2015Criminal Code.

According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Court, in 2015, theMIC-run MobiFone bought 95 percent of AVG with 8.9 trillion VND (382.7 millionVND), many times higher than the real value of the struggling AVG at that time.

During the purchasing process, Son, Tuan,Tra and Hai made use of their positions to speed up the deal without theapproval of the Prime Minister, despite their knowledge of the poor financialand business situation of AVG. The deal caused a loss of over 6.47 trillion VND(278.21 million USD) to the State.

 Son received3 million USD from AVG Chairman Vu while Tra, Hai and Tuan got 2.5 million USD,500,000 USD and 200,000 USD, respectively, to accelerate the transaction./.

VNA

See more

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

ASEAN’s goods, culinary culture promoted in Europe

The ASEAN Committee in Prague (ACP) launched an "ASEAN Food Corner" on October 22, aiming to promote the culinary culture and introduce goods from ASEAN countries to consumers in the Czech Republic and Europe at large.

If the plan is approved, public employees will enjoy a continuous 9-day Tet break from January 25 to February 2 next year. (Photo: VNA)

2025 Lunar New Year holiday plan submitted to PM

The Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs on October 22 submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister regarding the schedule for the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) – Vietnam’s largest traditional celebration – and other national holidays.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Kien Giang continues to take firm stand against IUU fishing

The Standing Board of the Party Committee of southern Kien Giang province has called for strengthening the Party's leadership in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, part of a broader national effort to have the “yellow card” warning lifted by the European Commission (EC).

Yen Bai city in the northern province of Yen Bai is severely affected by Typhoon Yagi. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam receives EU’s humanitarian aid for Typhoon Yagi victims

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) Central Committee has received humanitarian response and early recovery support from the European Union and its member states through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)' Emergency Appeal to assist the Vietnamese people affected by Typhoon Yagi and its subsequent floodings.

Conscripted Vietnamese workers honoured with ceremony in France (Photo: VNA)

Conscripted Vietnamese workers honoured with ceremony in France

A solemn ceremony was held on October 20 in the southern city of Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture of France, to mark the 10th anniversary of the memorial dedicated to Indochinese workers who came to work in the Camargue region during World War II.

At the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between Bac Lieu and Uiseong county, Gyeongsangbuk-do province on sending local labourers to the RoK to work seasonally under the form of locality-to-locality collaboration between the two countries in the 2023 - 2027 period. (Photo: VNA)

Bac Lieu, Korean locality sign labour cooperation agreement

The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on October 21 signed a cooperation agreement with Uiseong county, Gyeongsangbuk-do province of the Republic of Korea (RoK) on sending local labourers to the RoK to work seasonally under the form of locality-to-locality collaboration between the two countries in the 2023 - 2027 period.

(Photo: VNA)

Tien Giang strives to reduce poverty rate to 0.87% this year

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committees at all levels in the southern province of Tien Giang have collaborated with agencies and organisations to speed up social security programmes, aiming to reduce the province's poverty rate to 0.87% this year, said Vice President of the provincial VFF Committee Huynh Van Hai.

The Chinese sailor is rushed to FV (Franco-Vietnamese) Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for treatment as soon as he is brought to the shore. (Photo: VNA)

Chinese sick sailor on vessel AMIS STAR provided with first aid

A ship from the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (VMRCC) on October 20 provided first aid to critically-ill Chinese sailor on a Liberia-flagged vessel off the coast of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau before bringing him to the shore for further treatment.

At the meeting between Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang and UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam respects right to freedom of belief, religion: official

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang highlighted Vietnam’s consistent policy of respecting and protecting the right to freedom of belief and religion for all people, while meeting with UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif in his recent trip to Switzerland.