HANOI, Vietnam — The chairman of the Trung Nguyên Coffee Corporation JSC, Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ (PICTURE), has lost control of the instant coffee company to his wife, according to a decision by the Bình Dương Province’s Planning and Investment Department.
On July 13, the provincial department rescinded an earlier decision issued on April 21 that named Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ as legal representative of the Trung Nguyên Instant Coffee Company JSC.
According to the new decision, the department restored the previous business registration certificate of the company granted in November 2013, which named Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo, Vũ’s wife, as the legal representative of Trung Nguyên Instant Coffee Company JSC.
The department’s decisions were based on a request issued on May 13 by the People’s Supreme Court in HCM City, which is in the process of ruling on the divorce between Vũ and Thảo.
Earlier, in a petition sent to Bình Dương authorities, Thảo said that while waiting for the court’s judgment, Vũ, a member of the management board of the Trung Nguyên Instant Coffee Company JSC, removed her as chairperson and general manager of the company. She said his action was illegal because it was not authorised by a majority of the management board.
According to Việt Nam’s Law on Enterprises, a legal representative is the company chairperson or general manager, who is authorised to represent the company and make important decisions on business operations, human resources, bank accounts and the company seal.
Trung Nguyên Corp JSC is an enterprise involved in coffee production, processing and distribution, operating under the brand name Trung Nguyên Coffee, one of the leading coffee brands in Việt Nam.
Its products have been exported to more than 60 countries, including the US, European Union, UK, Germany, China and Singapore.
Along with the Bình Dương Instant Coffee Factory run by Trung Nguyên Instant Coffee Company JSC, the corporation also has factories in Bắc Giang Province, HCM City and Đắk Lắk Province.
Trung Nguyên operates a nationwide chain of coffee shops in Việt Nam and has granted franchises in other countries.
