Following a meeting with Vladimir Putin on December 22nd, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s two-week absence from public view sparked considerable speculation. His location remained undisclosed despite social media posts, but investigative journalism identified his likely whereabouts as the Capella Hanoi hotel in Vietnam, contradicting earlier rumors of a Dubai trip. This absence coincided with a halt in government communication regarding Fico’s activities. The prime minister’s subsequent address, threatening aid restrictions to Ukraine, further fueled speculation surrounding his trip.
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A Vietnamese court upheld the death sentence for property tycoon Truong My Lan, convicted of a $27 billion fraud involving Saigon Commercial Bank. While the appeal was denied, Lan can avoid execution by repaying three-quarters of the embezzled funds, approximately $9 billion. This repayment could reduce her sentence to life imprisonment. Her husband received a reduced prison sentence, and the case has sparked widespread public outrage and a national anti-corruption campaign.
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A Vietnamese court upheld the death sentence of property tycoon Truong My Lan for orchestrating a $44 billion bank fraud, the largest in history. While the sentence stands, Ms. Lan could avoid execution by repaying $9 billion, three-quarters of the embezzled funds. This follows her April conviction for misappropriating funds from Saigon Commercial Bank over a decade through shell companies. Ms. Lan, who built a real estate empire from humble beginnings, now faces a race against time to secure the necessary funds.
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Facing a death sentence for embezzling $12.3 billion and related offenses, Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan must repay approximately $11 billion to avoid execution. Prosecutors have rejected leniency unless a substantial portion of the embezzled funds is returned, a condition her lawyer believes can be met through secured investments and loans. Her legal team is actively pursuing these options, aiming to satisfy the court’s requirement of returning three-quarters of the misappropriated assets to mitigate the sentence. Lan’s high-profile case underscores the Vietnamese government’s intensified crackdown on corruption.
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John Q. Hosedrinker