Dinh Ngoc He, born 1971, was former Senior Lieutenant Colonel and Deputy Director General of the Thai Son Corporation under the Defence Ministry (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The military court of Military Zone 7 on July 30began a first-instance trial of Dinh Ngoc He, alias Ut “troc”, and four other defendantsin a case involving law violations at the Thai Son Corporation under theDefence Ministry.

Before being charged, Dinh Ngoc He, born 1971, was Senior LieutenantColonel and Deputy Director General of the Thai Son Corporation. He is chargedwith two counts, one of which is abusing position and power while performingofficial duties under Clause 2, Article 356 of the 2015 Penal Code, and theother is using falsified documents under Point b, Clause 2, Article 341 of the2015 Penal Code

Three other defendants are also charged with abusing position and powerwhile performing official duties, who are Tran Xuan Son, born 1986, formerdirector of Binh Duong branch of Thai Son Development and Investment JointStock Company – Defence Ministry (Thai Son JSC); Tran Van Lam, born 1977,former Director General of Thai Son JSC; and Bui Van Tiep, born 1957, formercommander of Division 367, the Air Defence-Air Force Service.

The fifth defendant is Phung Danh Tham, who is accused of lack ofresponsibility causing serious consequences under Clause 1, Article 285 of the1999 Penal Code. Born in 1965, Tham was Colonel and Chairman of the Board ofDirectors and Director General of the Thai Son Corporation before being charged.

 The Central Military Inspectorateaccused Dinh Ngoc He as the person who initiated and instructed Lam, Tiep andSon in their illegal acts.

In July 2009, Ngoc He, then deputy head of Thai Son Corporation’sbusiness section, discussed with the head of the planning and investment a proposalto set up a new legal entity, using capital contributed by Thai Son Corporationand some individuals and operating as a subsidiary of the corporation.

The new company – named the Thai Son Development and Investment JSC waslicensed by the Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Planning and Investment. TheThai Son Corporation held a 51 percent stake in the Thai Son JSC.

In September 2011, the Thai Son Development and Investment JSC changedits name to Thai Son Development and Investment JSC – Defence Ministry, withNgoc He serving as Chairman of the Board of Director. Ngoc He was DirectorGeneral of the company from March 2013 until he was arrested.

After the Thai Son Corporation withdrew its 31 percent of stake, theThai Son JSC still did business in the name of a military company.

The indictment said during 2011-2016, Ngoc He used his position as therepresentative of Thai Son Corporation’s stake in the Thai Son JSC as well aschairman and director general of the Thai Son JSC to make inaccurate reports onthe Thai Son JSC’s operation, falsely claiming its functions and tasks in orderto get contracts in key national projects.

Ngoc He also instructed his subordinates to get military and officialnumber plates for the company’s cars, then used the cars as collateral or forlease in violation of regulations. They pocketed more than 6 billion VND fromthose acts. The military inspectorate stated that the illegal use of the carswith military and official number plates violated rules on public cars,triggering denouncement of the public and affecting the prestige of themilitary. 

Regarding other accomplices,🔯 the military inspectorate said Tran Van Lamwas made director general of the Thai Son JSC after its name was changed to ThaiSon Development and Investment JSC – Defence Ministry. After the marketmanagement agency of Binh Duong province detected more than 20,000 litres ofsub-standard petrol at the Thai Son JSC, Lam, at the instruction of Ngoc He,signed a document sent to Binh Duong People’s Committee on July 17, 2014,claiming that Thai Son JSC was a military company doing business alongsidedefence duty in order to ask for exemption of fine.

Later, Lam together with Tiep and Son fabricated contracts on petroldeposit and storage and other documents to claim that the sub-standard petrolbelonged to Division 367, not for the purpose of sale. Their act was said tocause loss of more than 1.4 billion VND in fine to the State budget.

Meanwhile, as Director General of the Thai Son Corporation, Danh Thamshowed lax management and lack of supervision and inspection, as he failed todetect the illegal use of cars with military and official number plates by NgocHe. Tham also did not notice other illegal acts of He and his accomplices.  

The indictment affirmed that although Ngoc He did not admit to thecharges, the military inspectorate found the documents and evidence collectedduring the investigation process constitute sufficient ground for the charges.

Ngoc He was also found to buy false university score record and degreeand use them in his Party membership dossier and for salary raise andpromotion.

 Also according to the indictment,the defendants voluntarily asked to repair the consequences of their acts, andhanded over a total of 1.28 billion VND to the Defence Ministry’s criminalinvestigation agency. Of the money, Ngoc He paid back 500 million VND, Xuan Son500 million VND, Tiep 250 million VND, Danh Tham 20 million VND and Lam 10million VND.  

The trial will last through July 31.-VNA