The former head of one of Viet Nam's biggest listed banks died in military custody Thursday morning.

Tran Bac Ha, former chairman of the State-owned Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV), was accused of violating banking regulations and had been detained since November.

The 63-year-old was reportedly suffering from liver cancer. He was given medical treatment while in custody at a military detention centre in Ha Noi’s Soc Son District.

In recent days, his health deteriorated and he was taken to 105 Military Hospital in Son Tay Town for emergency treatment yesterday morning, but he died before being hospitalised.

Ha’s body has been transferred to a funeral house. Police will carry out forensic tests to clarify the cause of his death.

Last November, the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Police Agency detained Ha and searched his house for alleged violations of banking regulations at BIDV.

Tran Luc Lang, former director-general of BIDV, Kieu Dinh Hoa, former director of the bank’s branch in central Ha Tinh Province and Le Thi Van Anh, former head of corporate clients of the Ha Tinh’s branch have also also been charged.

Lang and Hoa are being held in custody, while Van Anh is under house arrest.

The four were alleged to have made an arbitrary decision to approve loans of VND4.7 trillion (US$210.7 million) to 12 ghost companies involved in a corruption case at the Viet Construction Bank before the State Bank of Viet Nam took it over. This loaning practice resulted in a loss of VND2.5 trillion ($107.5 million) for the Viet Nam Construction Bank.

Ha worked at BIDV for 35 years and retired in September 2016. He was expelled from the Communist Party in June 2018. — VNS