Appeal court announces verdict for case involving ex-leaders of Da Nang

Defendants listen to the verdict on May 12 (Photo: VNA)

The jury rejected the appeals lodged by Tran Van Minh (Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee in the 2006-2011 period) and Phan Van Anh Vu (also known as Vu “nhom”, former Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC) while reducing the punishments for Van Huu Chien (Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee in the 2011-2016 period) and some other defendants.

Accordingly, the prison sentence of 17 years for Tran Van Minh was upheld, consisting of 12 years in prison for breaching regulations on the management and use of State assets that caused losses and wastefulness, and another five years for violating land management rules.

The court also upheld the 25-year jail term for Phan Van Anh Vu, including 17 years for breaching regulations on the management and use of State assets that caused losses and wastefulness, and eight years for violating land management rules. Added with his punishments in other cases, Vu has to spend a total of 30 years behind bars.

Meanwhile, Van Huu Chien will be imprisoned for seven years for the former offence (down two years from the penalty in the first-instance trial’s verdict) and an additional three years for the latter offence. The total punishment for him is 10 years in prison.

Former Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tuan also had his jail sentences cut down by 18 months for the former offence and by six months for the latter to 18 months each. The total penalty is three years in prison.

The jail sentences for Tran Phi (former General Director of the Da Nang Export-Import JSC) and Nguyen Dinh Thong (former Director of the Da Nang Land Management and Exploitation Company) were also cut down by 12 months and six months to 12 months and 18 months, respectively.

While three defendants were granted suspended sentences, the jury upheld the jail terms of between 18 months and six years for the 11 others.