VOA新闻杂志2024 越南前女首富被控欺诈125亿美元

 

Vietnamese Woman Accused of $12.5 Billion Fraud

越南前女首富被控欺诈125亿美元

　　A major property investor¹ in Vietnam, Truong My Lan, is on trial over an accusation² of fraud amounting to $12.5 billion. That is nearly 3 percent of the country's 2022 total economic production and the largest financial fraud case on record.

　　越南主要房地产投资商张美兰因涉嫌欺诈125亿美元而受审。这几乎占该国2022年经济总量的3%，也是有记录以来最大的金融欺诈案件。

　　Lan is the 66-year-old head of the property company Van Thinh Phat. The company was one of Vietnam's biggest property companies and its projects include homes, offices, hotels, and business centers.

　　现年66岁的张美兰是越南万盛发房地产公司的负责人。该公司是越南最大的房地产公司之一，其项目包括住宅、办公室、酒店和商业中心。

　　A government document says she reportedly used "thousands of ghost companies," paid bribes³ to government officials, and broke banking⁴ laws. She is accused of illegally controlling the Saigon Joint⁵ Stock Commercial Bank from 2012 to 2022 and using it to steal $12.5 billion, the document adds.

　　一份政府文件称，据报道她利用了“数千家幽灵公司”，向政府官员行贿，并违反了银行法。文件补充道，她被指控在2012年至2022年非法控制西贡商业股份银行，并利用该银行窃取125亿美元。

　　Another 85 people are being charged in the case, including a former State Bank of Vietnam official accused of accepting $5.2 million in bribes. Lan was arrested in October 2022 and could be executed if found guilty.

　　另有85人在此案中受到指控，其中包括一名前越南国家银行官员，他被控受贿520万美元。张美兰于2022年10月被捕，如果罪名成立，她可能会被处决。

　　Officials brought Lan to a Ho Chi Minh City courtroom on Tuesday morning. Her husband Eric Chu Nap-kee, who works in property investment in Hong Kong, was also asked to appear in the case, VN Express reported.

　　周二上午，官员将张美兰带上胡志明市法庭。据《越南快讯》报道，她的丈夫Eric Chu Nap-kee（在香港从事房地产投资）也被要求出庭。

　　Lan's arrest is part of an ongoing⁶ anti-corruption⁷ drive that brought thousands of officials and business leaders under investigation⁸. In January 2023, then-President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and two top officials resigned for "political responsibility" of corruption dealings during the pandemic.

　　张美兰的被捕是正在进行的反腐运动的一部分，该运动使数千名官员和商界领袖受到调查。2023年1月，时任总统阮春福和两名高级官员因对疫情期间的腐败交易负有“政治责任”而辞职。

　　But observers said the anti-corruption drive has also worsened Vietnam's economic outlook and concerned foreign investors⁹. It came at a time when the Southeast Asian nation has been trying to get businesses to move from China.

　　但观察人士表示，反腐运动也恶化了越南的经济前景，并让外国投资者感到担忧。当此之际，这个东南亚国家正试图让企业从中国搬过来。

　　Linh Nguyen is the lead researcher for Washington D.C.-based Control Risks. She said it is the size of Lan's alleged¹⁰ fraud that has been surprising.

　　阮灵是总部位于华盛顿特区的“控制风险组织”的首席研究员。她说，张美兰涉嫌欺诈的规模令人吃惊。

　　"More than 3 percent of the GDP is very large," Nguyen said. GDP, or gross domestic product, is how much a country produces in one year. She added that it also raised questions about whether other banks and businesses had "done the done the same (and) just haven't been discovered."阮灵表示：“超过3%的国内生产总值是非常大的数额。”国内生产总值是一个国家一年的生产量。她补充说，这也引发了人们的疑问，即其他银行和企业是否“也做了同样的事情，只是还没有被发现。”

　　The anti-corruption drive has also resulted in Vietnam's government slowing down. A report from Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute says that public officials are concerned about being investigated and are avoiding their responsibilities.

　　反腐运动也导致越南政府的行动放缓。新加坡尤索夫·伊萨东南亚研究所的一份报告称，公职人员担心被调查，并在逃避责任。

　　And Nguyen said that investors in banking, finance, and property investment are also taking a "wait and see" position at the moment.

　　阮灵表示，银行、金融和房地产投资的投资者目前也持“观望”态度。

　　Last year, local media reported that 1,300 property companies withdrew from the market and developers have been offering price reductions and gold to bring in buyers.

　　当地媒体去年报道称，有1300家房地产公司退出了市场，开发商一直在提供降价和黄金来吸引买家。

　　But Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's top politician, said in November that the anti-corruption fight would "continue for the long term."但是，越共总书记、越南最高政治家阮富仲在11月说，越南反腐败斗争将“长期持续”。

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

3 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为