Prosecutor recommends equal division of $12M assets in businessman-supermodel lawsuit

Supermodel Ngoc Thuy arrives in court on Oct. 16, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Duyen

The HCMC People’s Court concluded its hearing of the lawsuit filed by An over the assets, which include several houses, automobiles, stocks, and cash, on Thursday.

Present in court to ensure the final verdict is in line with the law and proffer suggestions to the judges, the prosecutor from the HCMC People's Procuracy said An was not able to prove that the assets had been bought with "his money."

On the other hand, there was proof that they were bought after the couple’s marriage, and that An had "voluntarily" asked Thuy to register them in her name.

So she suggested that the court should consider the disputed properties "joint assets" and divide them equally between the divorced couple.

Thuy should pay An VND8.7 billion from the rents she had got on nine apartments in HCMC’s District 1, which are among the disputed assets, she said.

But she rejected An’s demand for VND422 million and $700,000 in three bank accounts he had told Thuy to open in her name, citing lack of proof.

The judges are expected to hand down their verdict on Nov. 1.

An, 61, married Thuy, 43, a model and actress, in 2006 after knowing her for just a week. They divorced in 2008.

He sued her in 2010 claiming she had not returned 39 assets he had bought with "money he had earned before the marriage."

As a foreigner, he had to register the properties in Thuy’s name, he pointed out.

The court held its first trial on Aug. 18 this year, 13 years after An filed the suit, since it had to "obtain documents related to the properties in dispute."