Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of the PetroVietnam Construction joint Stock Corporation (PVC), denied committing asset misappropriation at the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project during the third day of the trial in Hanoi on January 10.


Trinh Xuan Thanh (L) and Nguyen Anh Minh (R) (Source: VNA)

Thanh said he had not directed Nguyen Anh Minh, former PCV Deputy General Director to establish a fund for internal and external affairs and completely had not known about it. 

Contrary to Thanh’s statement, Nguyen Anh Minh said the sum of 5 billion VND (200,000 USD) given to Thanh to spend on Lunar New Year 2012 gifts was a piece of evidence to prove that Thanh directed establishing the fund. 

According to the verdict, under the direction of Trinh Xuan Thanh and former PVC General Director Vu Duc Thuan, Minh made a phone call to Luong Van Hoa, former Director of the PVC’s Vung Ang - Quang Trach Project Management Board on January 6, 2012, requesting preparing 5 billion VND for Thanh’s personal use during the 2012 Lunar New Year holiday. 

On January 12, 2012, Hoa asked Nguyen Duc Hung, former head of the board’s Finance-Accounting Office to transfer over 6.5 billion VND to an account of Quynh Hoa One-Member Co. Ltd as payment for a falsified contract on auxiliary works of the Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant. 

After receiving the sum, then chief account Nguyen Thanh Quynh and then Director Le Thi Hanh Hoa, of the Quynh Hoa company, kept more than 977 million VND, or 15 percent of the total as previously agreed, and transferred the remaining upwards 5.5 billion VND to Hoa’s personal account. 

As directed by Minh on the morning of January 13, 2012, Hoa withdrew 5 billion VND and gave to Nguyen Van Ke, driver of Nguyen Anh Minh. Ke later kept 1 billion VND for Nguyen Anh Minh and delivered the remaining 4 billion VND to Nguyen Dang Toan, driver of Trinh Xuan Thanh for personal use during the Lunar New Year holiday. 

However, Thanh refuted the accusation, saying that at around 13:00 Toan drove him home in Ciputra from the PVC headquarters and to international Noi Bai airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City at 16:00 on January 13 so that he did not have enough time to receive and leave the sum at home. 

During the questioning session, Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of PetroVietnam, said after deciding that PVPower would be investor of the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant, PetroVietnam’s Member Council directed the Board of Directors to conduct the project in line with law. 

Former PetroVietnam General Director Phung Dinh Thuc assigned tasks to the Deputy General Directors, and the council was only responsible for policy and guidelines. 

Thang said PVPower’s reports then showed that EPC contract No.33 was eligible and it could be signed. It was not until investigation that he learnt that the contract lacked legal conditions. 

According to a PVPower representative, the signing of EPC contract was meant to launch the construction. 

Regarding PetroVietnam’s advance payment to PVC for Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant, Thang said it was not responsibility of the PetroVietnam’s Member Council and its head but the Board of Directors.

The questioning session will continue on January 12.

 

                                  Source: VNA

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