The Hà Nội High-Level People’s Court opened an appeal trial on an online gambling case involving former senior police officers and trillions of dong in the northern province of Phú Thọ on Tuesday.— VNA/VNS Photo

PHÚ THỌ — The Hà Nội High-Level People’s Court opened an appeal trial on an online gambling case involving former senior police officers and trillions of dong in the northern province of Phú Thọ on Tuesday.

The eight-day trial, held at the appeal of the Phú Thọ People’s Procuracy and defendants, will try 83 defendants. 

The defendants will not include two former senior police officers Phan Văn Vĩnh and Nguyễn Thanh Hóa, who did not appeal their sentences of 9 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, for abusing their position and power.

Two other defendants in the first-instance trial, Phan Sào Nam (former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the VTC Online Telecommunications Co.) (VTC Online) and Nguyễn Văn Dương (former Chairman of the Members Council of the Hi-tech Security Development and Investment Co.) (CNC) did not lodge appeals but they have been requested by the procuracy to be present at the trial. However, Dương, Nam and 24 other defendants asked to be absent from the trial. 

At the first instance trial, Nam was given five years and Dương 10 years on two charges of organising gambling and laundering money. 

The first trial on the case was held from November 12-30, 2018 by the Phú Thọ People’s Court involving 92 defendants. 

After that, the Phú Thọ People’s Procuracy appealed the verdict, asking the Hà Nội High-Level People’s Court to review three issues, including the application of aggravating circumstances to 27 defendants and extenuating circumstances to 36 defendants. The procuracy also appealed against the confiscation of money used in gambling of 43 defendants. 83 defendants filed appeals or petitions against the verdict.

The online gambling ring through the card game Rikvip/Tip.club was led by Phan Sào Nam and Nguyễn Văn Dương.

The ring included 25 tier-1 outlets, 5,877 tier-2 outlets and 42,956,718 gambling accounts. It was found to have gained more than VNĐ9.85 trillion (US$428.2 million) in revenue from online gambling. — VNS