Hanoi (VNA) –The High-Level People’s Court in Hanoi began to hear the appeals of Dinh LaThang and his accomplices in the case involving the National Oil and Gas Group(PetroVietnam)’s contribution of 800 billion VND to the Ocean Commercial JointStock Bank (OceanBank).

All seven defendantsin the case appealed against the judgment issued by the Hanoi People’s Court atthe first-instance trial in March this year.

They are Dinh LaThang, former Chairman of the PetroVietnam’s Member Council; Nguyen Xuan Son, formerDeputy General Director of PetroVietnam; Vu Khanh Truong, Nguyen Thanh Liem, PhanDinh Duc and Nguyen Xuan Thang, who are former members of the PetroVietnam MemberCouncil; and Ninh Van Quynh, former chief accountant and former head of thedepartment of finance, accounting and auditing of PetroVietnam.

At the beginning ofthe appeal hearing, Nguyen Xuan Son withdrew his appeal against all criminaland civil judgments and only kept an appeal against the judgment on his rightsand obligations related to the case, under which he asked the appeal court toexempt him from paying 15 billion VND in compensation to PetroVietnam. Son alsoasked the court to make Ninh Van Quynh bear responsibility for the 180 billionVND that Son had transferred to Quynh to pay for customer care.

Representatives ofthe People’s Procuracy held that although Son cancelled his appeal, the appealsof other defendants are directly related to him, thus the court should defineSon as a defendant. The chair of the court agreed with the People’s Procuracy’sviewpoint.

Meanwhile, Dinh LaThang appealed to the High-Level People’s Court to review all the charges,punishments and civil obligations against him.

Defendant Phan DinhDuc also asked for a review of the entire judgments given to him in the firstinstance trial, while Ninh Van Quynh called on the court to review the case andreduce the punishment for him.

Vu Khanh Truong andNguyen Thanh Liem appealed for review of their sentences including compensationto PetroVietnam.

Earlier, in thefirst-instance trial of the case from March 19-29, the People’s Court of Hanoisentenced Dinh La Thang to 18 years in prison, Nguyen Xuan Son to 30 months inprison, Vu Khanh Truong to 5 years in jail, Nguyen Xuan Thang 22 months injail, and Nguyen Thanh Liem and Phan Dinh Duc to non-custodial re-educationperiods of 20 months and 15 months, respectively, on the charge of“deliberately violating State regulations on economic management, causingserious consequences.”

Ninh Van Quynh receiveda total of 23 years in prison for “deliberately violating State regulations oneconomic management, causing serious consequences,” and “abusing position andpower to arrogate property.”

Along withimprisonment sentences, Dinh La Thang was ordered to pay 600 billion VND incompensation to PetroVietnam, while Quynh must compensate 100 billion VND andTruong 40 billion VND. The rest four defendants were requested to compensate 15billion VND each.

The appeal trial willlast until June 25.-VNA