Former Phu Quoc City Police Chief Sentenced to 18 Years for Fraud

The An Giang Provincial People's Court in southern Vietnam has sentenced Le Van Mot, the former Chief of Phu Quoc City Police, to 18 years in prison for fraud. His alleged adopted daughter, Nguyen Thi Hang, received a combined sentence of 30 years for fraud and money laundering. The pair defrauded victims of approximately VND 67 billion (around $2.8 million) by promising to facilitate land transactions with fabricated documents. Hang was handed a 20-year sentence for fraud and another 10 years for money laundering, totaling 30 years – the maximum for a determinate prison term. The prosecution had initially requested a life sentence for Hang. The court found insufficient grounds to determine all the money and cash flows related to accusations of victims handing over money to the defendants for land paperwork and sales. The panel of judges recommended that the investigative agency continue to verify these matters and process them if sufficient evidence is found. Le Van Mot and Nguyen Thi Hang formed their connection in 2021 when Mot was the Chief of Phu Quoc City Police. Mot claimed Hang as his adopted daughter. Subsequently, they became involved in numerous cases related to forest land transactions, including receiving money by promising to create land documents they knew could not be fulfilled, thereby building trust to receive funds from others. According to the indictment, Hang received nearly VND 60 billion from multiple victims, while Mot received VND 8 billion. Hang is also accused of defrauding six other individuals of approximately VND 30 billion. The court stated that defendant Mot used his position and credibility to build trust. At trial, Mot denied the charges and refuted any agreement with Hang. However, the panel of judges asserted that objective evidence demonstrated a unity of intent between the two defendants during the commission of the crimes. Mot, with his position, credibility, and connections, was primarily responsible for making promises and building trust with the victims, while Hang signed contracts and received the money. Each participated in different stages with distinct roles. The court determined that the total amount embezzled by the defendants exceeded VND 67 billion. The defendants' actions were deemed particularly dangerous to society, infringing upon the property rights of numerous victims and the state's administrative order in the financial sector, resulting in exceptionally large consequences that warranted severe punishment. Regarding Hang, the court found she played an active role in receiving money from victims, subsequently transferring funds, purchasing real estate, and conducting transactions to conceal the origin of the money. However, Hang's sincere confession and voluntary admission of her actions contributed to the swift resolution of the case, leading to a reduction in her sentence. After deducting the amount already recovered, the court ordered Mot and Hang to jointly compensate the victims VND 44.5 billion.