The woman, Pham Thi Tuyet Lan, 52, a property speculator, and some officials of Go Vap District, had appealed against their previous sentences handed down by a lower court four months ago.
The appeals court on Wednesday said Lan had offered bribes totalling VND2.5 billion (US$128,000).
The lower court had sentenced her to 25 years' imprisonment, but the appeals court increased her sentence, saying that she had refused to admit guilt and blamed paperwork for errors.
In June, the lower court had sentenced Tran Kim Long, ex-chairman of the Go Vap District People's Committee, to 26 years in jail for bribery and abuse of power, and Nguyen Van Tinh, former secretary of the district's Party Committee, to 13 years for abusing power.
The court at that time did not address the case of accepting brides by Tran Kim Long.
The appeals court on Wednesday said Long was charged with taking a VND540 million ($27,600) bribe, giving bribes of VND20 million ($1,000) and $30,000, and abuse of power. The appeals court also commuted Tinh's earlier sentence from 13 to 11 years in prison.
Tinh showed repentance and admitted his guilt during the appeal proceedings, said to the court.
The court also decided to reduce the sentence because Tinh is seriously ill. According to the court's verdict, between 2000 and late 2002, Lan in co-operation with some local officials illegally acquired 11 hectares of public land and sold them at inflated prices to State-owned Go Vap Construction Co. They pocketed the difference between the official and inflated prices, estimated to reach VND16.6 billion ($850.000).
The court said Long had received VND540 million ($27,600) from Lan in exchange for illegally selling 11ha of public land to her between 2000 and December 2002. — VNS
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