$27 bln fraud case shows issues, but no new risks to Vietnam's banking system: Fitch

$27 bln fraud case shows issues, but no new risks to Vietnam's banking system: Fitch

A massive fraud case involving a missing $27 billion related to Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) with links to real estate tycoon Truong My Lan has exposed financial supervisory shortcomings in Vietnam, Fitch Ratings said in a note earlier this week.

Banking - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Businesses forced to return $399 mln to freshly convicted Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan

Businesses forced to return $399 mln to freshly convicted Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan

Quoc Cuong Gia Lai Corporation and other businesses have been ordered to return VND10 trillion ($399.4 million) and over 1,000 taels of gold to the disgraced tycoon Truong My Lan and get back projects they had sold to her and Van Thinh Phat Group's member companies.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Former State Bank of Vietnam inspection chief receives life sentence in Van Thinh Phat scandal

Former State Bank of Vietnam inspection chief receives life sentence in Van Thinh Phat scandal

Do Thi Nhan, former head of the State Bank of Vietnam's inspection and supervision department, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday for receiving bribes related to the Van Thinh Phat scandal.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan sentenced to death with $27 bln compensation pending

Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan sentenced to death with $27 bln compensation pending

Ho Chi Minh City People's Court on Thursday sentenced Truong My Lan, chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat Group, to death in one of the most notorious criminal cases in Vietnam.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Foreign banks oppose Van Thinh Phat chairwoman’s proposal to sell Capital Place building in Hanoi

Foreign banks oppose Van Thinh Phat chairwoman’s proposal to sell Capital Place building in Hanoi

HSBC and OCBC Bank Singapore have opposed a proposal by Truong My Lan, chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat, to sell the Capital Place building in Hanoi to remedy the consequences she had caused in a scam.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Trial of Van Thinh Phat chairwoman, accomplices to last nearly 2 months

Trial of Van Thinh Phat chairwoman, accomplices to last nearly 2 months

The chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat and her husband will be put on a first instance trial by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court from March 5 to April 29 for causing losses of VND484 trillion ($19.73 billion) to private lender Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB).

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

HCMC court installs cameras to protect 6 tons of Van Thinh Phat Group scam documents

HCMC court installs cameras to protect 6 tons of Van Thinh Phat Group scam documents

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court has installed security cameras and a firefighting system to protect six tons of documents to be used as evidence in the upcoming trial of Truong My Lan, chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat, and her accomplices.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Property developers Tuan Chau, Van Thinh Phat spin complicated web

Property developers Tuan Chau, Van Thinh Phat spin complicated web

Tuan Chau Group and Van Thinh Phat Group both contributed capital to and opened companies in Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City where they are respectively headquartered, but these moves have proven unsuccessful with many joint ventures dissolving.

Companies - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman accused of 'money laundering'

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman accused of 'money laundering'

Real estate developer Van Thinh Phat chairwoman Truong My Lan has been accused of “money laundering” after using over VND304 trillion ($12.53 billion) she had appropriated from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) to buy properties and make money transfers abroad, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Vietnam PM orders scrutiny of crossholdings in banking system

Vietnam PM orders scrutiny of crossholdings in banking system

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered strict handling of all violations found after an urgent scrutiny of crossholdings at credit institutions in the country.

Banking - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman to face trial in $12.53 bln embezzlement case

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman to face trial in $12.53 bln embezzlement case

Truong My Lan, chairwoman of property developer Van Thinh Phat Group, will face trial for embezzling over VND304 trillion ($12.53 billion) from Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB).

Top News - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

No more lending to ‘backyard’ companies, Vietnam PM tells banks

No more lending to ‘backyard’ companies, Vietnam PM tells banks

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed banks to cancel all new loans to a small group of businesses or projects of an ecosystem known as “backyard” companies, in a move to improve banking operations.

Banking & Finance - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Vietnam needs 3-5 years to fix consequences of Van Thinh Phat-SCB scandal: analyst

Vietnam needs 3-5 years to fix consequences of Van Thinh Phat-SCB scandal: analyst

It will take the Vietnamese government three to five years to deal with toxic loans related to the Van Thinh Phat-Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) scandal and repair the damage caused, said Nguyen Quang Thuan, chairman and founder of Hanoi-based FiinGroup, a leading financial data provider in Vietnam.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Vietnam prosecutes 23 enforcement officials in Van Thinh Phat scandal

Vietnam prosecutes 23 enforcement officials in Van Thinh Phat scandal

Vietnamese authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against 23 officials working for enforcement agencies for wrongdoings related to the Van Thinh Phat scam, part of intensified efforts to root out corruption in the country.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat case just the tip of 'broken iceberg': legislator

Van Thinh Phat case just the tip of 'broken iceberg': legislator

The case of Van Thinh Phat Group is only the tip of a "broken iceberg" and there are "other icebergs that have yet to break," said National Assembly member Pham Van Hoa from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on Tuesday.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Bribery-accused tycoon built Van Thinh Phat empire with 1,000 plus businesses: investigators

Bribery-accused tycoon built Van Thinh Phat empire with 1,000 plus businesses: investigators

Van Thinh Phat Group, whose founder Truong My Lan has been arrested for alleged bribery and other violations, commandeered an empire of more than 1,000 businesses, said investigators.

Companies - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Cross-ownership in Vietnam banks a headache seen from Van Thinh Phat-SCB scandal

Cross-ownership in Vietnam banks a headache seen from Van Thinh Phat-SCB scandal

The scandal surrounding real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Group and Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) shows that violations in cross-ownership and cronyism have become complicated and increasingly sophisticated, posing a huge challenge for regulators when it comes to preventing businesses from controlling banking activities.

Banking - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat Group chairwoman-related assets frozen

Van Thinh Phat Group chairwoman-related assets frozen

The Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency has frozen 22 assets including one yacht, two ships and 19 cars belonging to Truong My Lan, chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City-based real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Group, and other legal entities.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Vietnam tycoon attempts to misappropriate $40 mln from businesswoman in trouble: police

Vietnam tycoon attempts to misappropriate $40 mln from businesswoman in trouble: police

Businessman Nguyen Cao Tri tried to misappropriate VND1 trillion (over $40 million) from Truong My Lan, chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Group, Ho Chi Minh City police said Friday.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman accused of appropriating $12.53 bln from Saigon Commercial Bank

Van Thinh Phat chairwoman accused of appropriating $12.53 bln from Saigon Commercial Bank

Truong My Lan, chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City-based property developer Van Thinh Phat Group, has been accused of controlling operations at Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) to appropriate over VND304 trillion ($12.53 billion), police said on Friday.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Two Saigon Commercial Bank chairpersons, accomplices called on to surrender

Two Saigon Commercial Bank chairpersons, accomplices called on to surrender

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security on Wednesday called on two former chairpersons and five other leaders of Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) involved in the Ho Chi Minh City-based property developer Van Thinh Phat’s bond fraud case to turn themselves in.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Two Saigon Commercial Bank chairpersons wanted in relation to Van Thinh Phat Group bond fraud

Two Saigon Commercial Bank chairpersons wanted in relation to Van Thinh Phat Group bond fraud

Vietnamese police are calling on two chairpersons and five other leaders of the Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB) to turn themselves over their involvement in the HCMC-based property developer Van Thinh Phat’s bond fraud case.

Society - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

$1.23 billion, 42,000 investors: property developer Van Thinh Phat accused of fraud

$1.23 billion, 42,000 investors: property developer Van Thinh Phat accused of fraud

HCMC-based property developer Van Thinh Phat Group and several other firms misappropriated over VND30 trillion ($1.23 billion) from 42,000 investors via fraud in bond issuance, investigators have concluded.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Police unblock assets of 20 'Van Thinh Phat scam-related' firms

Police unblock assets of 20 'Van Thinh Phat scam-related' firms

The Ministry of Public Security’s investigative agency has reverted its asset freezing decision for 20 among the 762 "Van Thinh Phat Group scam-related" companies.

Companies - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Hanoi freezes assets of 762 Van Thinh Phat Group scam-related companies

Hanoi freezes assets of 762 Van Thinh Phat Group scam-related companies

Hanoi’s Department of Planning and Investment has frozen assets of 762 legal entities related to the alleged fraud that occurred at property developer Van Thinh Phat Group.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Security ministry rejects rumors more major enterprises face criminal charges

Security ministry rejects rumors more major enterprises face criminal charges

Vietnam is intensifying its years-long anti-graft drive, but authorities are not criminalizing economic activities and civil ties, Ministry of Public Security spokesperson To An Xo said Tuesday.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat-related real estate origin reviewed after chairwoman arrest

Van Thinh Phat-related real estate origin reviewed after chairwoman arrest

Ho Chi Minh City's police has asked the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment to review the origin of 156 properties related to Van Thinh Phat Group.

Real Estate - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Supervision tightened to safeguard corporate bond buyers' interests: finance minister

Supervision tightened to safeguard corporate bond buyers' interests: finance minister

Corporate issuers have pledged they would pay bondholders their due when their bonds mature, Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc said Monday.

Top News - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Depositors protected no matter what: central bank governor

Depositors protected no matter what: central bank governor

The government will protect depositors' interests at banks, including the Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), in all circumstances, State Bank of Vietnam Governor Nguyen Thi Hong said Monday.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7

Van Thinh Phat boss arrested for corporate bond fraud

Van Thinh Phat boss arrested for corporate bond fraud

Truong My Lan, chairwoman of HCMC-based property developer Van Thinh Phat Group, was arrested Saturday for alleged fraud in the issuance and trading of corporate bonds in 2018 and 2019.

Economy - Mon, Dec 22, 2021 | 11:30 am GMT+7