Hanoi court annuls embezzlement sentence for former official

The Hanoi People's Court has annulled a first-instance verdict and returned a case to investigators for further inquiry regarding Nguyễn Thị Hằng, a former social affairs official in Cự Khê commune.

Hằng, 39, was previously sentenced to five years in prison for the embezzlement of over 4 million VND intended for people with meritorious services to the revolution. The prosecution alleged that in 2022, Hằng failed to distribute a home nursing allowance of approximately 1.4 million VND to a deceased veteran and instead forged the signature of the veteran's wife to complete the settlement documents.

Following an appeal by the defendant, the appellate court decided to overturn the initial sentence after new evidence was presented by the defense lawyer during the proceedings.