Vietnamese lender Đặng Thị Ghi charged with usury in Phú Thọ province

The Phú Thọ provincial police announced on 30 July 2026 that Đặng Thị Ghi, 45, has been formally charged with "providing usurious loans in civil transactions" under Article 201, clause 2 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code. Investigators determined that Ghi earned illicit interest of more than VND 173 million from loan agreements that stipulated a rate of VND 5,000 per million per day, far above legal limits.

From March 2024, Ghi loaned a businessman identified as Phú a total of VND 11.06 billion. Phú repaid VND 194.7 million in interest and VND 2 billion in principal, leaving an outstanding debt of VND 9.06 billion. All transactions were conducted through bank accounts. In addition to prosecution, the police imposed a residence restriction preventing Ghi from leaving her home while the investigation continues.