V
ietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan, 68, has launched an appeal against her death sentence for a $27 billion fraud case. Lan was convicted earlier this year of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), which she controlled, and given the death penalty in one of Vietnam's biggest corruption cases.

    Lan pleaded with the court to reconsider her sentence, calling it "too severe and harsh". She asked for a more "lenient and humane" approach, citing her passion for business and desire to contribute to Vietnam through her projects. Lan also requested that she be exempt from paying a $26.5 million court fee.

    The appeal comes after Lan was convicted of money laundering and jailed for life in a separate case last month. During her first trial, she was found guilty of embezzling $12.5 billion, with prosecutors estimating the total damages at $27 billion – equivalent to six percent of Vietnam's 2023 GDP.

    Outside the court, around a dozen people staged a small protest demanding that victims be repaid. One victim, Le Hang, 84, said she didn't want Lan to die, but rather for her to live and repay those affected by the scam. Eighty-five others were also sentenced in connection with the case, which has been part of Vietnam's national corruption crackdown.

    Lan used fake loan applications to withdraw money from SCB between 2012 and 2022, with her driver transporting over $4.4 billion in cash from the bank's headquarters to her home and business offices. The court will review Lan's appeal, along with those of 47 other defendants, during a three-week hearing attended by 100 lawyers.