HCM City (VNA) – The High-level People’s Court in HoChi Minh City on May 28 opened a trial to review the case in which Huynh ThiHuyen Nhu, an ex-official of Vietinbank, and her accomplice were charged withswindling to appropriate 1.085 trillion VND (43.8 million USD) of fivecompanies.

According to the first instance trial’s verdictannounced on February 9, from May to September 2011, Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu, whowas then a controller and acting head of the Dien Bien Phu transaction officeof the HCM City branch of Vietinbank, persuaded five companies, namely OrientSecurities Corporation, Hung Yen Investment JSC, SaigonBank Berjaya SecuritiesCompany, Global Insurance Corporation, and An Loc Company, to deposit money inthe Nha Be and HCM City branches of Vietinbank. She promised them interestrates higher than the ceiling rate regulated by the State.

Nhu took advantage of accounts at Vietinbank,used many tricks and faked seals and documents to appropriate the money ofthese companies.

The verdict said the companies made the illegalagreements outside Vietinbank offices and let Nhu use their accounts, whichcreated conditions for her to appropriate their assets. As these civil plaintiffsviolated law, they would not be protected by law and the person whoappropriated their money must compensate for their losses.

Nhu was given life imprisonment while heraccessory, Vo Anh Tuan (former deputy director of the Nha Be branch), was sentencedto seven years in prison, also for the guilt of swindling to appropriateassets.

Nhu was ordered to compensate four companies,and Tuan would have to compensate one company. The total compensation they mustpay is over 1.085 trillion VND.

After the verdict announcement, Nhu did notlodged any appeals, but Tuan appealed for leniency and four of the fivecompanies also appealed against the ruling.

At the appeal trial, the High-level People’sProcuracy in HCM City asked the jury to uphold the seven-year imprisonment forTuan, saying that his appeal did not provide any new details.

It also proposed the four companies’ appeal berejected and Nhu’s sentence and compensation responsibility be kept.

Meanwhile, these plaintiffs said they hadlegally deposited money in Vietinbank and their money had been recorded in thebank’s system. They added that it was Vietinbank’s fault in managing itsclients’ money, which created conditions for Nhu to appropriate their money, soit is the bank’s responsibility, not Nhu’s, for paying the compensation.

The appeal court is set to conclude on May29.-VNA