Vietnam Tycoon Ordered to Repay $11 Billion to Avoid Execution

Truong My Lan, convicted of embezzling billions, appeals her death sentence as prosecutors demand substantial repayment to consider leniency.

Truong My Lan, a 68-year-old real estate mogul, was sentenced to death in April for embezzling $12.3 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB).
Vietnamese law allows for a reduced sentence if Lan repays at least three-quarters of the embezzled funds and cooperates with authorities.
Prosecutors insist Lan must return $11 billion to avoid execution, arguing she has not yet met the conditions for leniency.
Lan's legal team claims to be working on securing overseas investments and loans, including a $400 million pledge, to help repay the debt.
The case, one of Vietnam's largest corruption scandals, has led to public protests from SCB investors who lost their savings in the fraud.