Director on Trial for Fraud Over Canceled Show

A company director is facing trial for fraud and asset misappropriation in connection with the last-minute cancellation of a show. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, 47, director of Ngoc Viet Education Co. Ltd., was brought before the Hanoi People's Court on August 11. The court postponed the trial to August 27 due to the absence of several involved parties and victims.

Ngoc Viet Education was responsible for organizing the "Về đây bốn cánh chim trời" (Come Here Four Birds) show, which was controversially canceled just before its scheduled start in late 2025. The show was set to feature works by renowned composers Van Cao, Trinh Cong Son, Pham Duy, and Tran Tien, with performances by famous artists.

According to the indictment, Ha established two companies in the education, art, and entertainment sectors since 2020. These companies faced multiple lawsuits for copyright infringement. In October 2024, she founded Ngoc Viet Education, which received approval from the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports to organize the "Về đây bốn cánh chim trời" show.

The company signed two contracts with music director Vu Quang Trung, totaling 926 million Vietnamese dong. Trung requested 80% payment before the show, but Ngoc Viet Education failed to meet the payment schedule. Consequently, Trung and the musicians refused to perform. Furthermore, Ngoc Viet Education had not secured the rights to perform 24 of the 31 planned songs, as they had not paid copyright fees to the composers' representatives. The Vietnam Music Copyright Protection Center had notified the artists and the organizing company about the copyright issues, urging them not to use the songs.