kude.punny

Ex-Lawyer Jailed For Massive Fraud

An ex-lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City was sentenced to 29 years in prison for charges including fraud worth US$302,000, announced a court in southern Vietnam Tuesday.

Le Bao Quoc, a 38-year-old former head of a law office in Ho Chi Minh City, was convicted for, dispossessing properties, attempting to flee from custody, giving bribes and faking legal documents, according to the Binh Duong Province People’s Court.

Quoc had taken advantage of his occupation and acquaintances with some judicial officials to boast that he could “change a verdict” to wheedle money from gullible clients.

Typical bilking

In 1996, Quoc signed a contract to purchase six mobile phones worth VND36million (about $2,220) in total, in installments from the Saigon Post Telecommunications Company. Later he kept the properties without paying.

Two years later, he bought a car by Daewoo Vietnam worth over $34,000, also under an installment plan, but has only paid half of the money.

In a similar case, he took some VND630 million (nearly $39,000) from the Financial Leasing Company 2 under the Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In early 2005, he borrowed VND500 million ($30,800) from Ngo Thi Dang Nam and gave her fake documents of ownership of a BMW as mortgage.

Inspectors afterwards found out he had bought that BMW from Nguyen Van Sau at a cost of $44,000 and fled after paying just a half.

Caught red-handed

Quoc’s misconducts came into light in June 2005 when police in HCMC’s Tan Binh district got a complaint accusing Quoc of deception.

Later that month, he was caught red handed while receiving VND2 billion (over $123,000) and $30,000 from a client in Tan Binh district.

Earlier Tran Thi Ngoc, the client, had filed against Dang Nam in a land dispute to the provincial court. The latter had not given her the rest VND5.1 billion (about $314,000) of a $400,000 land in Binh Duong which she had bought from Ngoc.

The court ruled in favor of Ngoc but Quoc found her before the settlement was paid and showed her a fake document that said the court decided to postpone the settlement. Quoc told Ngoc she would loose the case unless she paid him.

For fear of being defrauded, Ngoc secretly informed the police of the meeting.

During his trial, Quoc and his driver claimed that they had given a bribe of VND1.3 million ($80) to a court member for the copy.

As there was no proof for the bribe, the inspection agency could not prosecute the court member for receiving bribe.

The driver Le Duc Tuan was sentenced to one-year probation for abetting Quoc in the bribery.

During the custody period, Quoc attempted to escape three times but failed.

As investigations into Quoc’s misconduct were instigated in Binh Duong province, the Supreme People’s Procuracy assigned the local court to hear the case.

Hearings started Thursday last week and wrapped up yesterday.

được đăng bởi kude.punny @ 21:37