Property tycoon Truong My Lan requests return of Hermes bags

She bought one bag in Italy and received the other as a gift from a Malaysian billionaire, she told the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City Friday.

"These bags do not hold significant value compared to my other confiscated assets. I would like them returned to my family as keepsakes."

She requested that only her personal assets be retained by the court, while those belonging to her family – such as three savings accounts under her daughter's name and one in her brother’s name – be returned.

Lan, the chairwoman of property developer Van Thinh Phat who is being tried for several crimes, also mentioned that she was arrested while wearing a diamond set of over 20 karats, which included earrings, six necklaces, and rings, along with a black Hermes bag. She asked for these items to be returned as well.

Additionally, she requested the return of laptops containing 50 years' worth of family photos.

Ngo Thanh Nha, Lan’s sister-in-law and CEO of Van Thinh Phat Investment, a subsidiary of Van Thinh Phat, asked for her husband’s VND10 billion (US$406,000) savings account and her own VND3 billion account to be returned, citing her husband’s need for medical treatment.

Ngo Thanh Nha, CEO of Van Thinh Phat Investment, a subsidiary of property developer Van Thinh Phat, seen at the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City in September 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Truong Hue Van, Lan’s niece, also requested that her two phones and a laptop be returned to her family because they contain family images.

At the ongoing trial Lan is being tried for fraudulent appropriation of assets through the issuance of bonds, money laundering and illegal trans-border movement of money.

Lan has told the court several times that she "respected the accusation of the investigators," but requested the judges and prosecutors to look thoroughly at the motives and circumstances of the crimes. She took responsibility for all consequences.

Earlier this year she was sentenced to death for embezzling money from SCB between 2012 and 2022.

She and her accomplices owe VND677 trillion to the bank they had obtained through 1,300 different loans. The court also found her guilty of bribery and violating banking regulations.

She has appealed the death sentence.