Investors in Nha Trang airport project appeal victim status, citing trust in developers

Hundreds of investors involved in the Nha Trang old airport project have filed appeals, requesting not to be classified as victims in the ongoing legal proceedings. The case, which is being heard in the Central Military Court on June 29, concerns alleged wrongdoings by former Ministry of Defense officials and the Phúc Sơn Group.

Five defendants, including former Major General Nguyễn Duy Cường and former Major General Hoàng Viết Quang from the Ministry of Defense, along with Nguyễn Văn Hậu, former Chairman of Phúc Sơn Group, have appealed their sentences. The initial ruling found that officials improperly transferred over 62 hectares of defense land to Phúc Sơn Group. Hậu is accused of signing 983 contracts with 683 individuals and organizations, raising over 7 trillion Vietnamese dong, despite knowing the project's legal status was uncertain.

In January, Hậu was sentenced to 11 years in prison (30 years total with another conviction), while Cường and Quang received 2 years and 6 months for land management violations. Many former leaders of Khánh Hòa province also received prison sentences. The initial court ordered Hậu to compensate the investors, who were recognized as victims.

However, these investors argue that they entered into contracts with Phúc Sơn based on trust in official documents and were unaware of subsequent irregularities. They contend that their payments were contributions to the project's financial resources, which Phúc Sơn used for infrastructure development, rather than evidence of fraud. The investors seek to be recognized as third parties and urge the court to compel Phúc Sơn to complete the project and transfer the land as per their agreements. They also request that any share transfers by Hậu and the company ensure the successor upholds all obligations.