On April 5, during the trial of the Van Thinh Phat case, the presiding judge announced that the sentencing date for the defendants would take place on the morning of April 11.
Notably, the presiding judge also informed that lawyers, defendants and related people can add additional documents or new details through the court clerk. Thereby, the Trial Council will have additional considerations and assessments in the deliberation part.
A high-ranking official in the State apparatus – a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam – revealed that, similar to previous high-profile cases, “you saw the Van Thinh Phat case, there was no death penalty! It doesn’t matter if Lan lives or dies with them, they don’t have a heart for justice, they only have a heart for money!” Worst case scenario would be:
– In the first-instance hearing Truong My Lan will be sentenced to death.
– The Appeal hearing will reduce her sentence to life imprisonment or less.
“The press is just a tool for them to perform drama. Then you see, no one will die. They just threaten to make her to give a lot of money for the police, the procuracy and the court.”
In big and important cases like this, most lawyers are “just baiters and transporters of money for them.” And “respected lawyers are sought to be eliminated by the Police and Procuracy and are not allowed to defend.”
“I am an insider so I know and understand them very well,” this senior official – a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam – emphasized.
Hieu Ba Linh
