HCMCity (VNA) - An appeal trial for the trade of counterfeit cancerdrugs at Vietnam Pharma (VN Pharma) JSC commenced on May 18 in HCM City.

NguyenMinh Hung, former chairman and director-general of VN Pharma, considered one ofthe two people at the heart of the case, did not appeal his 17-yearsentence, but attended the hearing for his involvement with other defendants.

Vu Manh Cuong, director of H&C International Maritime Trading Co Ltd and aformer employee of VN Pharma, allegedly acted as middle-man for thesale of fake drugs to VN Pharma. He is appealing a sentence of 20years in jail.

Both faced charge of the crime "Manufacturing and trading of counterfeitmedicines for treatment or prevention of diseases" under Vietnam’s PenalCode.

From 2013-14, the pair and 10 other accomplices were alleged to have fakeda range of documents – including Free Sale Certificates (FSC) and Canada’s GoodManufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate, fake seals from the Vietnameseembassy in Canada, and fabricating contracts and licences with a company inHong Kong to import of 9,300 boxes of cancer drugs H-Capita 500mg that VNPharma advertised as being made in Canada.

The ten accomplices were handed sentences ranging from 3-12 years in jail.

Seven defendants in the case, including Cuong, have filed for appeal againstthe verdicts reached at the first-instance trial that concluded inOctober last year.

According to the procuracy, VN Pharma won a bidding package to supply thesedrugs to big hospitals across the country.

The procuracy said Hung’s actions caused damage of more than 6 billion VND (258,000USD) to VN Pharma. Cancer patients may have been subjected to the risks ofbeing administered fake drugs if the violations had not been discovered intime, thus affecting their health and even life.

The trial is expected to last three days./.