(TAP) - In connection with the major criminal case at Vietnam Construction Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VNCB), the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam has issued a wanted notice for Ms. Pham Thi Trang (alias “Trang Pho Nui”), former Deputy General Director of VNCB, who has been identified as a key accomplice in the case.
Ms. Pham Thi Trang (alias “Trang Pho Nui”), former Deputy General Director of VNCB
According to the indictment publicized by Vietnamese media in August 2017, Ms. Pham Thi Trang (also known as “Trang Pho Nui,” born in 1974, from Nghe An Province) was implicated in the major case at Vietnam Construction Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VNCB) and was charged with “deliberate violations of State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences”. Ms. Trang is the younger sister of Mr. Pham Viet Thep, Director of JSC An Phat Service and Trading Company Limited, an enterprise affiliated with Thien Thanh Group. Investigators determined that Mr. Thep was a part of a group of directors set up by Mr. Pham Cong Danh - former Chairman of the Board of Directors of VNCB and Chairman of Thien Thanh Group - to facilitate the illegal withdrawal of funds from the bank.
Pham Cong Danh (53, former Chairman of VNCB), Tram Be (59, former Vice Chairman of Sacombank), and 44 accomplices at the verdict hearing. Source: Chinhphu.vn
International wanted notice issued by the Ministry of Public Security on July 31, 2017
An investigation has revealed that, following the establishment of her association with Pham Cong Danh in Hanoi in 2013, Ms. Trang joined the Vietnam Construction Bank (VNCB), assuming the role of a self-declared Deputy General Director with responsibilities centered on capital mobilization. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role as an intermediary, connecting Mr. Danh with major clients, including Tran Ngoc Bich, the Deputy General Director of Tan Hiep Phat. Additionally, Ms. Trang orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate over 63.7 billion VND. This was accomplished by introducing her brother’s company, An Phat Company, which entered into a fabricated contract for an upgrade to the bank's "Corebanking" system.
Besides that, the prosecuting authorities determined that Ms. Pham Thi Trang was also involved in facilitating the withdrawal of nearly VND 5.5 trillion from the bank without valid supporting documentation or the account holders’ authorized signatures, resulting in particularly serious losses. Notably, since July 2014 - when the investigation into Mr. Pham Cong Danh was formally initiated - Ms. Trang had departed Vietnam for San Francisco, United States.
During the 2016 trial, the prosecution issued multiple summonses for Ms. Trang. At the hearing, attorney Phan Trung Hoai, representing Mr. Pham Cong Danh, proposed invoking the 2007 Law on Mutual Legal Assistance to grant her "safe conduct" - a commitment against detention. He argued this mechanism would facilitate her return to Vietnam to testify as a witness, thereby clarifying pivotal details of the case. However, the Trial Panel noted that Ms. Trang had already submitted a formal request through Vietnam’s diplomatic mission in San Francisco, asking to be excused from appearing in person.
On July 31, 2017, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam issued a decision to prosecute Ms. Pham Thi Trang for the offense of “deliberate violations of State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences” under Article 165 of the Penal Code. On the same day, the investigating authority issued International Wanted Notice No. 17 for Ms. Trang. At the same time, the Police Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security conducted a search of her residence to collect documents and evidence for the investigation. All of the aforementioned procedural decisions and orders were approved by the Supreme People’s Procuracy in accordance with the law.
Image of Ms. Pham Thi Trang posted on her personal Facebook account in 2022
Ms. Pham Thi Trang remains on the Ministry of Public Security's special wanted list, facing prosecution under Vietnamese law.
Jame Le