On the afternoon of November 20, the first instance trial of 15 defendants in the case that occurred at Xuyen Viet Oil Trading, Transport and Tourism Company Limited (Xuyen Viet Oil Company) continued with the questioning session.
In court, defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh (former Director and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Xuyen Viet Oil) admitted that she was the one who had full authority to decide all activities of Xuyen Viet Oil Company. All instructions related to operations and signing of reports were directly carried out by the defendant.
Defendant Mai Thi Hong Hanh.
Defendant Nguyen Thi Nhu Phuong (cousin of Mai Thi Hong Hanh) was recruited into the Company in 2015 as Deputy Director, in charge of signing reports related to funds and finance.
Defendant Hanh explained: “Because I often go on business trips, Phuong signs documents and papers on my behalf. However, Phuong does not fully understand the company’s operations.”
Similarly, defendant Dinh Tien Dung, who held the position of Chief Accountant, only came to the company 2-3 times a month to review the data. Meanwhile, defendant Nguyen Tuan Long, Head of the Sales Department, was only in charge of sales, while the import of goods was directly handled by defendant Hanh.
Defendant Hanh admitted that the appointment of Mr. Dung and Mr. Long was not in accordance with any regulations, but was based solely on personal relationships and feelings. In addition to the petroleum business, Xuyen Viet Oil Company also invested in the real estate sector. Defendant Hanh stated that she used money from the Company, bank loans, and profits from the petroleum business to buy real estate.
Misappropriation of environmental protection tax money
According to the indictment, from October 2021 to July 2022, although Xuyen Viet Oil Company collected more than VND 1,244 billion in environmental protection tax for the state, defendant Hanh did not direct the payment of this amount to the budget as prescribed. Instead, defendant Hanh transferred money from the Company's account to personal accounts and used it for his own purposes, causing serious losses.
Responding to the People's Court, the defendant Hanh admitted the indictment and stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gasoline prices fluctuated sharply, leading to the Company's accumulated loss of more than VND 1,100 billion. Therefore, the defendant was unable to pay the above environmental protection tax.
The defendant realized that his actions were wrong, expressed remorse, and asked the jury for a chance to remedy the consequences. At the same time, the defendant pledged to use assets unrelated to the case and mobilize relatives to help remedy the consequences.
Regarding the violation of regulations on the establishment, management and use of the Petroleum Price Stabilization Fund, defendant Nguyen Thi Nhu Phuong confessed to signing 18 reports under the direction of defendant Hanh. Phuong said she only managed the cashier and monitored the company's accounts, but did not have clear information about the Price Stabilization Fund.
“The defendant only signed as directed by Ms. Hanh. During the work, the defendant did not clearly understand the specific nature of these reports and was only working for a salary. It was only when working with the Investigation Police Agency that the defendant realized his wrongdoings,” defendant Phuong testified in court.
The trial continued to clarify the defendants' responsibilities in the case that caused thousands of billions of dong in losses to the State.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ba-chu-xuyen-viet-oil-thua-nhan-chiem-dung-hon-1-244-ty-dong-thue-moi-truong-ar908544.html
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