Judge adds a zero to fees in Trung Nguyen divorce case

By Hung Le   March 27, 2019 | 11:41 pm PT
Judge adds a zero to fees in Trung Nguyen divorce case
The judge said fatigue had caused him to make an error when reading out the three-hour verdict. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen
The court fees charged in the divorce case involving Vietnam’s coffee royalty was read out as $3.5 million instead of $350,000.

The judge presiding over the divorce case between coffee moguls Dang Le Nguyen Vu and Le Hoang Diep Thao corrected the sentence this afternoon, saying fatigue had caused him to make an error when reading out the three-hour verdict.

Coffee King Vu will have to pay VND4.7 billion ($202,300), and his ex-wife Thao, VND3.4 billion ($146,350), in legal fees.

The VND81 billion ($3.48 million) court fees mentioned Wednesday afternoon shocked many, far exceeding the VND8.4 billion (around $361,100) that several lawyers had predicted.

After almost three years of litigation, the HCMC People’s Court delivered a verdict on the couple’s divorce settlement Wednesday afternoon.

Dang Le Nguyen Vu (L) and Le Hoang Diep Thao at the court Wednesday. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen

Dang Le Nguyen Vu (L) and Le Hoang Diep Thao at the court Wednesday. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen

It ruled that stocks and cash of the Trung Nguyen Coffee group shared by Vu and Thao will be split 60:40 in former’s favor. The value of the couple’s combined stake in the group is estimated at over VND5.7 trillion ($245 million).

Their properties, including land and buildings, will be split equally, the court ruled.

The court also ruled that since the division of the company’s shares will cause difficulties in managing the company, Vu would buy all of Thao’s shares with cash and the latter will no longer be a Trung Nguyen shareholder.

Thao will raise the four children they have had together, and Vu will pay VND10 billion ($431,140) a year for their upkeep, starting retrospectively from 2013 until they graduate from college.

If either party chooses to appeal, the judgment will be reviewed.

According to divorce regulations, where a property dispute worth above VND4 billion ($172,000) arises in a civil case, each party will have to pay court fees of VND112 million ($4,820) plus 0.1 percent of the combined value of disputed assets exceeding VND4 billion ($172,000).

 
 
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