Defendants at the appeal trial on May 15 in Hà Nội. Photo nld.vn

HÀ NỘI —The High People's Court in Hà Nội on May 15 held an appeals trial involving two former National Assembly deputies, Lưu Bình Nhưỡng and Lê Thanh Vân.

The hearing was convened following appeals from defendants Nhưỡng, Vân, and Nguyễn Văn Vương (a former official from the President Office).

Nhưỡng requested a reduced sentence, while the other two pleaded not guilty.

To facilitate trial proceedings, the court summoned the Red Star Construction Materials Exploitation and Trading Co. Ltd. as the aggrieved party, along with 11 individuals as witnesses.

In January, the Thái Bình People’s Court handed down first-instance sentences.

Accordingly, Vân was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Vương to 14 years, both for "abusing position and power to influence others for personal gain".

Nhưỡng received a cumulative 13-year sentence for two offences of extortion and abuse of position and power, to influence others for personal gain.

Another defendant, Phạm Minh Cường was sentenced to seven years for extortion.

The defendants were accused in connection with five incidents in various provinces and cities of Thái Bình, Quảng Ninh, Hải Phòng, Bắc Ninh and Hà Nội.

As deputy head of the National Assembly’s Ombudsman Committee at the time, Nhưỡng allegedly called Thái Bình’s police leaders and accompanied Cường to meet with border guard officers and commune authorities.

This enabled Cường to 'protect' illegal sand mining operations and extort VNĐ1.6 billion (US$63,100) from Red Star Company.

Nhưỡng and his wife allegedly received a 30-hectare tidal flat area worth around VNĐ1.2 billion ($47,300) from Cường but only paid VNĐ900 million ($35,500), leaving the land under Cường’s management and control for profit.

Nhưỡng was also accused of sending official letters to leaders of judicial agencies in Hải Phòng City in an attempt to interfere in a case involving a person connected to Cường.

In return, he allegedly received a wooden door set worth VNĐ75 million ($3,000) and aimed to benefit from a land plot worth VNĐ160 million ($6,300).

The former deputy also allegedly intervened with local governments in Bắc Ninh and Quảng Ninh to help two businesses implement projects, in exchange for a total of $300,000 (about VNĐ6.9 billion), a land plot worth VNĐ1.8 billion ($70,900), and an additional 1,000 sq.m of land worth VNĐ1.9 billion ($74,900).

Meanwhile, Vân was accused of signing numerous letters to leaders in Quảng Ninh Province and to the central Government, seeking to help a business implement a project.

He was allegedly granted a land plot worth VNĐ1.8 billion ($70,900) and sought to benefit from 1,000sq.m of land worth VNĐ1.9 billion ($74,900).

Both former deputies are also accused of jointly signing letters or making phone calls to leaders in Quảng Ninh Province to help the same company obtain an early project licence.

Nhưỡng allegedly received VNĐ210 million ($8,300) and Vân VNĐ60 million ($2,400) in return.

During the first-instance trial, Nhưỡng largely maintained his testimony as stated in the indictment.

Regarding the $300,000 he received from a business, he admitted this was a “mistake” but insisted he had never suggested or requested money, saying such behaviour was inconsistent with his lifelong personal style.

Responding to the allegation that he influenced officials in Hải Phòng to benefit an acquaintance, Nhưỡng argued that submitting a petition on behalf of a constituent was "a normal duty of a NA deputy".

He claimed there was no intent of personal gain, as the VNĐ75 million wooden gate provided by Cường was installed at his family’s ancestral house as a donation, “not a personal gift”.

Vân testified that he was an old schoolmate of Nhưỡng and had met a business leader from Quảng Ninh by chance at Nhưỡng’s office. He admitted to calling a provincial leader but said his motivation was to help a struggling business, especially since the person who made the request was a relative of a senior official in Hà Nội.

He admitted to accepting money from the business, claiming they “slipped it into [his] pocket” and that he accepted it “just to please them”, not out of demand. He stated the amount was just VNĐ10 million ($400).

The former deputy also claimed that he had a duty to forward any citizen petitions he received, regardless of the person, issue, or location, citing the Constitution and relevant laws to argue that this was legitimate parliamentary activity, not undue interference.

Vân’s defence lawyers repeatedly challenged the prosecution’s argument, maintaining his innocence, though the court ultimately rejected this defence. VNS