Defendant Do Huu Ca at the start of his trial. — VNA/VNS
QUANG NINH: The former director of the Hai Phong City Police Department appeared in court on Wednesday (April 10) for the start of his first-instance fraud trial.
Do Huu Ca and 12 other defendants are charged with offences including fraud, tax evasion, and illegal invoice trading.
Proceedings began on April 10 at the People's Court of Quang Ninh Province.
Ca faces charges of fraudulent appropriation of assets while Truong Xuan Duoc and his wife Nguyen Thị Ngoc Anh are accused of ‘illegal trading of invoices and documents for State budget collection’ and ‘offering bribes’.
Nguyen Dình Duong and Do Thanh Hoai, former officials of the Cat Hai District Tax Department, are indicted for ‘accepting bribes’.
The People's Court of Quảng Ninh Province has summoned 21 individuals as witnesses in the case.
According to the charges, Duoc and Ngoc Anh operated the Khanh Dung Joint Stock Company from 2007, specialising in illicit trading of value-added tax invoices. Ngoc Anh, as the company's chief accountant, managed tax declarations, legalised documents and facilitated the establishment of other firms under Duoc's instructions.
Between 2014 and 2021, they established 26 additional companies for illegal invoice trading, using their IDs and those of others. Duoc purchased input invoices monthly from Bui Huy Hợp and others, paying 5 to 6 per cent of the stated goods or services value for tax declaration.
In 2018, Hop's arrest led Duoc to limit invoice purchases and establish 11 companies as cover. Investigations revealed that from March 2013 to May 2022, they traded 15,674 invoices, earning an unlawful amount of VNĐ41.2 billion (US$1.65 million).
Around October 2022, upon hearing of his grandson Truong Van Nam's investigation for illegal invoice trading, Truong Xuan Duoc fled. He instructed his wife to seek help from Ca, a former director of the Hai Phong City Police Department, to evade charges.
Ngoc Anh then briefed Ca on their predicament, seeking his assistance in evading charges and promising to cover any expenses as per Ca's instructions.
During their exchanges, Ca discovered that the Thai Binh Duong Company, managed by Duoc's family, had a sales revenue of around VNĐ200 billion ($8.01 million). Although Ca did not take any steps to assist Duoc, he directed Ngọc Anh to prepare 10 per cent of the company's sales revenue and additional funds for evading charges.
From October 2022 to December 2022, Duoc and his wife visited Ca's residence in Kenh Giang Commune, Thuy Nguyen District, Hải Phòng City, four times, delivering a total of VNĐ35 billion ($1.4 million).
Despite these payments, there was no response. Before the Lunar New Year in 2023, Duoc and his wife visited Ca once more to inquire about the progress of their efforts to evade charges.
Duoc's effort to escape the sentences failed, as he was apprehended by the Quang Ninh Police on Feb 3, 2023, for illegal invoice trading.
Following Duoc's arrest, Ngoc Anh visited Ca's residence seeking an update and the return of the money given to Ca, but the retired police chief neither returned the money nor offered assistance, instead reproached Ngọc Anh and dismissed her.
On Feb 7, 2023, the police arrested Ngọc Anh, and eleven days later, Ca was arrested and detained on charges of "fraudulent appropriation of assets."
During the investigation, Ca admitted to receiving money from Duoc and his wife but claimed that he had not influenced any individuals or authorities to evade charges.
During the investigation, the defendants returned over VNĐ40 billion ($1.6 million), which includes the VNĐ35 billion returned fully by Ca.
The trial, presided by judge Bui Van Tuan of the Quang Ninh People's Procuracy, is expected to last three days. — Vietnam News/ANN
