City orders probe into allegedly missing $1.17m

August 25, 2016 - 19:00

The HCM City government yesterday ordered an investigation into a complaint by a businesswomen that US$1.17 million from her account in Viet Nam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VP Bank) went missing last year.

Customers make transaction at a VPBank office. — Photo Trần Việt
Viet Nam News

HCM CITY — The HCM City government yesterday ordered an investigation into a complaint by a businesswomen that US$1.17 million from her account in Viet Nam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VP Bank) went missing last year.

In a letter to the Department of Public Security and State Bank of Viet Nam, HCM City People’s Committee deputy chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen said they should carefully investigate the case and report to the administration.

Tran Thi Thanh Xuan, the woman, sought help from Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper, saying the bank has disowned responsibility while an VP Bank employee that she suspects to have stolen the money has stopped working for the lender.

Her account had been tampered with by the employee, Doan Thi Thuy Hang, with the signature changed, she alleged further.

Xuan, the director of Quang Huan Investment and Development Company based in Cu Chi District, opened an account at the bank in March last year to receive payments from customers.

An estimated VND26 billion was paid into it.

But four months later, when she went to withdraw the money, she was told there was hardly anything left in the account.

The bank staff also requested her to sign a form again since her signature had been mysteriously changed.

Details are sketchy about how the money was withdrawn from her account, but she said she did not get SMSs from the bank for the withdrawals despite paying for it.

The State Bank of Viet Nam’s city branch told online newspaper VnExpress that it has sought a report from VPBank and ordered it to co-operate, adding that it has not received a complaint from Xuan. — VNS

 

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