The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court Thursday pronounced the sentence on Nguyen Pham Gia Tho, 30, former head of customer relations at an ANZ branch in HCMC's District 7.

It handed down a similar sentence to Tho’s sister-in-law Nguyen Tuong Vi for assisting him in stealing the money. The court also ordered the two to compensate the bank with the stolen money.

From 2015 to 2017, Tho forged signatures of customers to open internet banking accounts in their names.

He stole a total of VND91.3 billion ($3.94 million) from these accounts, of which VND80 billion ($3.45 million) was sent to Vi to invest in her fruit importing company in HCMC.

ANZ reported the theft to authorities towards the end of 2017 after Tho’s actions aroused suspicion.

The trial was suspended several times as Vi was having a child.