HCMC – Le Duc Tho, former Party Secretary of Ben Tre Province, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for taking bribes and abusing power in connection with the Xuyen Viet Oil case.
The HCMC People’s Court on November 29 issued a verdict against Tho, Do Thang Hai, former deputy minister of Industry and Trade, Mai Thi Hong Hanh, chairwoman of Xuyen Viet Oil, and 12 other defendants.
The court described the defendants’ actions as exceptionally severe, disrupting the operations of organizations and agencies and posing a threat to the nation’s energy security.
Le Duc Tho was sentenced to 15 years for taking bribes and 13 years for abusing his authority for personal gains, resulting in a combined 28-year prison term. He was also fined VND100 million for each count.
Mai Thi Hong Hanh, chairwoman of Xuyen Viet Oil’s Members’ Council, was identified as the ringleader in the case. She received a 19-year sentence for violating state asset management regulations and an additional 11 years for giving bribes, amounting to a total of 30 years in prison. She has been ordered to fully compensate damages totaling over VND1.4 trillion.
Nguyen Thi Nhu Phuong, deputy director of Xuyen Viet Oil, was handed a six-year jail term for violating state asset management regulations.
Do Thang Hai, former deputy minister of Industry and Trade, was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement.
