Ho Chi Minh City Court Returns Investigation File in Massive Vietnamese Real‑Estate Fraud Case

The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City has ordered the return of the investigation file for further inquiry in a large‑scale fraud and money‑laundering case. The trial involves Quach Moc Tan, director of An Lac Tan Real‑Estate Development Co., and three co‑accused who allegedly created dozens of fictitious residential projects, sold apartments that were either non‑existent or not eligible for transfer, and misappropriated funds from investors.

Prosecutors have asked for life imprisonment for Quach Moc Tan on the charge of “fraudulent appropriation of property” and an additional 11‑12 years for money‑laundering, as well as life sentences for Tang Quang Son and Nguyen Tan Hoa, and a 20‑year term for Nguyen Lai. The indictment estimates the total loss at about 372 billion VND, of which more than 315 billion VND remains unrecovered. Authorities say the defendants’ conduct threatened property‑ownership rights of many citizens and disrupted the economic order of the real‑estate market, prompting calls for severe penalties to deter similar schemes.