Hà Nội’s High-Level People’s Court has decided to reduce the prison sentences for 13 defendants involved in an online gambling ring, considered the biggest of its kind uncovered in Việt Nam so far.— VNA/VNS Photo Trung Kiên

PHÚ THỌ — Hà Nội’s High-Level People’s Court has decided to reduce the prison sentences for 13 defendants involved in an online gambling ring, considered the biggest of its kind uncovered in Việt Nam so far.

On the last day of the eight-day appeal trial in Phú Thọ Province yesterday, the court accepted part of the appeals of 13 defendants while rejecting those of the 23 others.

It upheld the rulings on the two masterminds behind the ring, 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).

Nam will spend five years behind bars for “organising gambling” and “laundering money”. Dương will serve 10 years for the same offences.

Although Nam and Dương did not appeal against the verdict of the first-instance trial, they were still brought to the appeal trial because they were included in the appeal lodged by the Phú Thọ provincial People’s Procuracy.

The high-level court also upheld other rulings from the previous trial and rejected the Phú Thọ procuracy’s appeal.

The Phú Thọ People’s Court held the first trial in November 2018, trying 92 defendants charged with involvement in the online gambling ring.

The defendants also included former police generals Phan Văn Vĩnh and Nguyễn Thanh Hòa.

While Vinh got nine years in prison for “abusing position and power while performing duties”, Hòa received a 10-year sentence for the same offence. They did not appeal the rulings.—VNS