Defendants at the court
Yesterday, the Court Military Region 7 continued to trial a group of 14 defendants in the case of smuggling nearly 200 million liters of gasoline.
The trial continued with the interrogation of the defendants.
To clarify the act of "protecting" for petrol smuggling, witness Phan Thanh Huu, who is being held in custody in the case of petrol smuggling in the Southern Province of Dong Nai, continued to answer the lawyer's interrogation on the allegation of giving billions of VN dong for former border guards.
Leader of petroleum smuggling ring Phan Thanh Huu said he knew Nguyen The Anh, former Commander of the Border Guard of the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang. In October 2020, Nguyen The Anh was transferred from the Standing Office of the 389 National Steering Committee to become the Commander of the Border Guard of Kien Giang Province.
At that time, Huu thought that Nguyen The Anh can no longer help the smuggling of gasoline, so he cut the bribe from US$60,000 and VND950 million per month to $10,000. According to Phan Thanh Huu's testimony in court, defendant Nguyen The Anh then called many times to force him to give money at the same level as before. Because Phan Thanh Huu was under pressure, he continued to give money to Nguyen The Anh as before.
Phan Thanh Huu also said that since knowing and being helped by defendant Nguyen The Anh, the smuggling of gasoline to Cambodia went smoothly. Even when Nguyen The Anh moved to the province, the cargo ships of smugglers were never caught by the authorities.
About the times he gave money to Nguyen The Anh, Phan Thanh Huu said in court that he gave money to Nguyen The Anh twice at a hotel in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. At the first meeting, Phan Thanh Huu gave VND100 million to Nguyen The Anh then $30,000 per month. Accordingly, from October 2019 to February 2020, Phan Thanh Huu gave Nguyen The Anh a total amount of $150,000 and VND500 million.
Meanwhile, defendant Nguyen The Anh, when participating in the interrogation, denied the testimony of Phan Thanh Huu. He announced that he did not accept bribes from Phan Thanh Huu and did not know Huu.
Additionally, Nguyen The Anh also denied that he asked his cousin Nguyen Van An to receive bribes from Phan Thanh Huu. Worse, he said that he was forced to write testimony under pressure.
Furthermore, when being questioned Nguyen Van An, cousin of Nguyen The Anh, said that he was forced to sign the minutes.
Defendant An testified that after fleeing to Laos and being arrested, the defendant was transferred to Dong Nai Province and was given testimony overnight. Defendant Nguyen Van An admitted to receiving about VND900 million from Phan Thanh Huu as tips to help Phan Thanh Huu approach Nguyen The Anh, not admitting to receiving bribes to help Nguyen The Anh.
In the indictment of the Central Military Procuracy, Nguyen The Anh abused his position and power to help Phan Thanh Huu to cover and protect gasoline smuggling activities for self-interest. Defendant Nguyen The Anh agreed and accepted a bribe of VND6.2 billion and US$560,000 from Phan Thanh Huu between October 2019 and January 2020.
