Owner of beverage giant Tan Hiep Phat arrested

The general director of Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group and his two daughters were arrested on Monday for abusing trust to appropriate property.

Tran Qui Thanh, Tran Uyen Phuong and Tran Ngoc Bich Thanh were taken into custody according to decisions signed by the Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency (C01).

C01 on Monday searched the three defendants' residences and workplaces at nine locations. Tan Hiep Phat is the largest Vietnamese beverage company.

According to the investigative agency, the prosecution is handling complaints made by people from Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province who accuse the trio and other individuals of fraudulently appropriating property, abusing trust to appropriate property, and evading tax. Such acts are related to projects and real estate of great values in Dong Nai and HCMC.

In March 2021, C01 prosecuted a case of property fraud after it received allegations from Le Van Lam, general director of Kim Oanh Dong Nai Development Investment and Development JSC (Kim Oanh Dong Nai Company); Nguyen Van Chung, director of DCB Company; and Lam Hoang Son.

In his petition, Lam claimed that Thanh, his daughter Phuong and related people had appropriated property by transferring projects and company shares. The contracts were faked to hide loans, Lam said.

Lam argued that these acts had caused more than VND1 trillion ($42.65 million) in damages to Kim Oanh Dong Nai Company.

Phuong's legal representative told local media that Kim Oanh Dong Nai Company's allegations were unfounded.

After 20 months of investigations, in November 2022, C01 temporarily suspended the case, saying it needed more time to further clarify damages related to the allegations.