Former General Director of the Đông Á Bank (DAB) Trần Phương Bình. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday it has started criminal proceedings against 10 defendants, including former General Director of the Đông Á Bank (DAB) Trần Phương Bình and former DAB Deputy General Director Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Vân.

Bình and Vân, together with eight other defendants, are being prosecuted for violating regulations on banking activities and other activities related to banking operations under Article 206 of the Criminal Code 2015.

These are the results of the second phase of the investigation into wrongdoings at the bank.

After receiving the approval from the People’s Supreme Procuracy, on Tuesday, the agency implemented prosecution decisions and search warrants against the 10 defendants.

They are also prohibited from leaving their residences. Earlier, Bình was sentenced to life in prison by the HCM City People’s Court on December 20 in the trial of 26 defendants who were involved in the loss of over VNĐ3.6 trillion (US$153.47 million) at the bank.

The judging council concluded that as General Director, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Chairman of the credit council of the Đông Á Bank (DAB), Bình initiated the idea and directly instructed his subordinates to arrange for staff members and their relatives to conduct illegal activities, causing losses of nearly VNĐ3.6 trillion to the DAB.

Bình himself pocketed more than VNĐ2 trillion and instructed his subordinates to disburse more than VNĐ1.56 trillion violating of rules.

The judges gave him 20 years in prison for “deliberately violating the State’s regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences” and life in prison for “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”, resulting in a combined punishment of life imprisonment.

An active accomplice of Trần Phương Bình, former Deputy General Director of DAB Trần Thị Kim Xuyến caused losses of nearly VNĐ1.1 trillion and appropriated VNĐ 40 billion for personal use. She was given 30 years in prison on two charges of “deliberately violating the State’s regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences” and “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”.

Phan Văn Anh Vũ (alias Vũ “nhôm”), who was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bắc Nam 79 Construction JSC, was also an accomplice of Bình in appropriating VNĐ203 billion of the DAB. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison for “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”.

In combination with an eight-year sentence for him for “deliberately disclosing state secrets” in another case, Vũ will have to serve 25 years in prison.

Other defendants were given imprisonment terms ranging from 2-years suspended sentence to 16 years. The defendants were also order to pay compensations to the DAB. — VNS