Singers say they are ‘victims’ at businesswoman’s trial

Singer Vy Oanh. Photo from Oanh's Instagram

Hang, the general director of the Dai Nam Joint Stock Company, is set to stand trial at the Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Court on Thursday, after she was arrested by Ho Chi Minh City police in March last year for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, and the lawful rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens."

The two singers claimed that Hang’s words and behaviors had directly harmed their reputations, causing them mental and physical repercussions. Thus, they argued, they were qualified to be considered "victims" in the case, according to the Criminal Procedure Code.

If the court approves their requests, the singers will have many rights that "relevant parties" do not enjoy, including the right to ask the court to consider the defendant's particular behavior and punishment, as well as appealing against the defendant’s conviction.

The court has not announced a decision on the singers’ requests.

Born Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, Hang, 51, and her husband, Huynh Uy Dung, legal representative of Dai Nam company in the southern province of Binh Duong, are famous for their lavish lifestyles and philanthropy.

She became an online sensation in 2021 thanks to live-streams on her Facebook page in which she claimed to expose several celebrities.

In her videos, she said singer Vy Oanh had earned a huge amount of money after having a child with a rich man, and singer Dam Vinh Hung had not been transparent in distributing money he collected from others.

She also mentioned several other celebrities and criticized them for not distributing charity money they raised from others and cheating people out of their money.

The police met with her on four occasions starting February last year to warn her against the live-streaming, all of which she ignored, leading to her arrest.