She had been merely following instructions given by her boss and former deputy chief inspector Nguyen Van Hung, who made the final decision on the inspection results and was responsible for reporting the bank’s situation to the government, they said.

They also pointed out that the testimonies by property developer Van Thinh Phat’s chairwoman Truong My Lan and former SCB CEO Vo Tan Hoang Van indicated there was no agreement that Nhan would accept any bribe.

And since the bribe was only paid after the inspection had already been completed, it should not have influenced her decisions, they argued, seeking leniency.

I can see that... still a dickhead in my opinion, but I guess the chief inspector and the property developer should be caught in the fallout....