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A court in Ho Chi Minh City released a former beauty queen on Friday after holding her in jail for two years under fraud charges, and ordered a fresh investigation into the case following new developments.
Truong Ho Phuong Nga, 30, was released under house arrest after the court found the new developments challenged the initial indictment against her.
The announcement was received with applause by those present in court.
Nga, who won Miss Vietnam Russia in 2007, was arrested in March 2015 following a criminal investigation that accused her of stealing VND16.5 billion ($725,000) from a Vietnamese businessman in an alleged housing scam.
She was charged in early September last year.
Later that same month, the case went to trial for the first time, when Nga retracted the confession she gave to police, saying it had been coerced and that she and the plaintiff were having an affair.
The trial ended after just a day when the judges ordered a fresh investigation.
The second trial started on June 22 and has been closely followed by the public and the media.
The outcome of the third hearing remains to be seen.
