Hồ Ngọc Thủy, a former Eximbank branch banker, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, while Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Trâm, Trần Nguyễn Xuân Lan, Nguyễn Thị Thi, Cao Lan Phương and Lương Quốc Anh received sentences of two to three years probation.—VNA/VNS Photo Thành Chung

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Court yesterday gave imprisonment and probation sentences to five former workers of Việt Nam Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank)’s HCM City branch for “lack of responsibilities that caused losses to the State, agency, organisation and enterprise” as well as causing losses of VNĐ264 billion (more than US$11.3 million) to the bank.

Hồ Ngọc Thủy, a former Eximbank branch banker, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, while Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Trâm, Trần Nguyễn Xuân Lan, Nguyễn Thị Thi, Cao Lan Phương and Lương Quốc Anh received sentences of two to three years probation.

According to the indictment, all bankers failed to follow the bank’s regulations in money transaction and savings withdrawal so they falsely created conditions for Lê Nguyễn Hưng, former deputy director of the branch, to misappropriate assets of three customers who had savings at the branch.  

Between January 2012 and March 2017, Hưng (born in 1971) forged the signature of a customer’s bank account and set up a forged account under the name Nguyễn Thị Hồng Lê.

Chu Thị Bình, the customer at the bank whose savings were stolen, was present at the People’s Court.

Hưng forged a procuring order on Bình’s account, the court said. Bình had previously allowed Nguyễn Thị Hồng Lê and Nguyễn Đăng Phong to withdraw money from 11 saving books belonging to Bình, a savings book of Phùng Thị Phẩm, and one of Lê Thị Minh Quí.

Hưng carried out transactions with Eximbank’s HCM City Customer Service Department whose staff were charged by the court with irresponsibility. Police are continuing their search for Hưng, who remains at large.

After negotiations with Bình, Eximbank’s HCM City branch paid customer Chu Thị Bình VNĐ245 billion which had been stolen from her saving books. — VNS