Procurators on October 28 proposed prison sentences ranging from three to 19 years for 12 defendants involved in violations at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).

Two former deputy general directors of BIDV in the courtroom. 

The term of 18-19 years was recommended for Doan Hong Dung, former director of the Trung Dung company, who has been accused of abusing trust to appropriate property.

Also charged with the same count are Tran Anh Quang, former director of the Binh Ha company, Dinh Van Dung, former director general of the Binh Ha company, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Son, former director of the Ha Nam company, who face jail terms of 13-14 years, 12-13 years, and 5-6 years, respectively.

The procuracy also recommended that Tran Luc Lang and Doan Anh Sang, former deputy general directors of BIDV, serve 6-7 years in prison.

Kieu Dinh Hoa, former deputy director of BIDV’s Ha Tinh Branch and Le Thi Van Anh, former customer service head of the branch, and Ngo Duy Chinh, former director of BIDV’s Ha Thanh Branch, Nguyen Xuan Giap, former deputy director of the branch, Pham Hong Quang, former head of the customer service division at the branch, and Dang Thanh Nam, an official in charge of customer management at the branch, may serve jail terms of three to eight years.

The procuracy also proposed the eight defendants who were working in the banking sector be banned from engaging in credit activities for 2-3 years.

The procuracy said the defendants in the case directly violated the bank’s legitimate operations, causing huge losses.

Tran Bac Ha, former chairman of BIDV, was determined to be the mastermind behind the violations. He died in prison in July last year after a long illness.

According to the indictment, from 2011 to 2016, taking advantage of his position, Ha was involved in a number of wrong-doings, such as violating democratic centralism principles and working regulations to pour money into companies that he himself had set up.

Specifically, he directed the establishment of two companies - the An Phu Joint Stock Company, which was owned by his son Tran Duy Tung, and the Binh Ha Livestock Joint Stock Company. Ha also instructed and approved the granting of credit with incentives that went against regulations of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and BIDV, despite the fact that the two companies did not have the financial capital to carry out the proposed project and were not eligible for credit extensions as prescribed by the SBV and BIDV.

This resulted in losses of more than VND1.5 trillion (US$64.2 million) for BIDV.

The trial is expected to last for ten days.