An Giang Provincial People's Court continued the pre‑trial hearing on 11 September for former Phú Quốc city police chief Lê Văn Mót, 60, and Nguyễn Thị Hằng, 47, of Nam Định.
Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2023 Mót, then head of the city police and a member of the Phú Quốc Party Standing Committee, abused his authority over land‑management policies to facilitate the sale of state‑owned forest land. He introduced Hằng to buyers, assuring them that she could issue land‑use right certificates despite the land being unsellable.
Victims—including T.T.M.T (56), L.V.T (41), H.V.T (55) and T.D.C (53)—transferred more than VND 67.74 billion (about US$2.9 million) to Mót and Hằng, with T.T.M.T alone sending nearly VND 22 billion from November 2021 to March 2022.
After receiving the funds, Hằng allegedly moved over VND 21 billion to relatives and acquaintances for property purchases in Phú Quốc and Hanoi, business ventures, and personal use, prompting a separate money‑laundering charge.
The An Giang Provincial Prosecutor's Office seeks a prison term of 14 to 16 years for Mót on fraud charges and a life sentence for Hằng on both fraud and money‑laundering counts, along with restitution of the stolen amounts.
Both defendants have denied the accusations.
The court adjourned the case to 18 September for sentencing.
The trial follows an earlier hearing in April 2026, which was sent back for further investigation due to unresolved factual disputes.