- Photo: AFP file
HANOI: Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan sent a letter from her prison cell asking authorities to reevaluate the wealth of her assets, as she seeks to pay back some of the billions embezzled and avoid the death penalty.
The 68-year-old petitioned the steering committee responsible for recovering funds tied to her property empire, asking it to reassess the market price of 726 assets that she claims are undervalued, according to news website Thanh Nien.
Lan said the company appointed to evaluate her assets, which includes prime real estate locations in central Ho Chi Minh City, had estimated their worth at around 253.5 trillion dong (US$9.7 billion), which she said was well below market value.
She also asked officials to consider incorporating a further 440 assets which are currently excluded from assessment.
Lan was sentenced to death last April after being found guilty of embezzling $12.3 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank, Vietnam’s largest-ever fraud case.
She also faces decades behind bars after being found guilty on charges including money laundering in a second trial.
Prosecutors had told the former chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat Group she must repay an estimated $11 billion to avoid the death penalty.
During court proceedings, her lawyers said she has been working to pay back thousands of bondholders and hundreds of millions in stolen bank funds.
The real estate mogul’s downfall captured global attention due to the severity of the sentence and the vast sums of money involved.
She has become the most high-profile case of the ruling Communist Party’s corruption crackdown, which has led to the detention of scores of senior officials and business executives.
In her request to authorities, Lan also asked the committee to allow her to be involved in the process of asset valuation and handling, with the goal of getting the greatest financial returns for the State. - Bloomberg
