Construction bank case: defendants ask for clemency
Pham Cong Danh, ex-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB, present name CB), said before court that all the money involved in the case of “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences” in VNCB was used to serve the bank’s operation, not personal purposes.
HCM City (VNA) – Pham Cong Danh,ex-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB, presentname CB), said before court that all the money involved in the case of“deliberately violating State regulations on economic management causing severeconsequences” in VNCB was used to serve the bank’s operation, not personalpurposes.
In his last statement at the second-phase trial ofthe case in Ho Chi Minh City on February 1, Danh, who was also Chairman of theBoard of Members and General Director of Thien Thanh Group, asked the judgingcouncil to look into and make clear how the money was spent.
Danh said during the three-year restructuring ofVNCB from 2012-2014, he mobilised a large amount of money to maintain thebank’s liquidity and improve its services. He added that he even poured all thecapital of Thien Thanh Group, which was operated by his family over the past 50years, into the bank.
For his part, Tram Be, former Vice Chairman ofSacombank, said he did not deliberately violate the regulations, appealing tothe judge to reduce the proposed jail sentence of five years.
Both Danh and Be apologized to their families andcolleagues for getting them involved them in the case.
44 other defendants also asked for clemency from thejudge.
According to the indictment, in2013 and 2014, Danh asked staffs of the VNCB and Thien Thanh Group to compilefalse documents in the names of 29 companies which were established in Danh’sname or others, in order to take loans from Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial JointStock Bank (Sacombank), Tien Phong (TPBank) and Bank for Investment andDevelopment of Vietnam (BIDV).
Danh used the money for personalpurposes and was unable to refund. He and his accomplices also used VNCB’smoney as collateral for loans from the banks. Their wrongdoings caused economiclosses of more than 6.1 trillion VND (268.4 million USD) to the VNCB.
On January 22, the municipalPeople’s Procuracy proposed a 30-year imprisonment sentence to Danh, Mai andKhuong, and a jail sentence of 5-6 years to Tram Be.
Other defendants will face atwo-year suspended sentence to 23 years in prison.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on January 8 began a trial on the case of “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences” in the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB-present name CB).
The Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City on January 9 announced an indictment against Pham Cong Danh, ex-Chairman of the Vietnam Construction Bank Board of Directors, and his accomplices who were charged with “deliberately violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences” at VNCB.
The second-phase trial against Pham Cong Danh, ex-Chairman of Board of Directors of the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB) and his accomplices entered the third day on January 10, when the Ho Chi Minh City court began questioning the defendants.
The People’s Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City proposed a 30-year imprisonment sentence to ex-Chairman of the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB) Board of Directors Pham Cong Danh during a trial on Jan. 22
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Defendants at the court. (Source: VNA)
