Hanoi: A court in Vietnam sentenced a former beauty queen to two years in jail Wednesday for falsely promoting gummies as rich in fibre on her social media channels, state media reported. The judges found Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien guilty of deceiving customers, stating she was aware that the fibre content of the candy was low at just 0.935 percent.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Tien, a former winner of the Thailand-based Miss Grand International beauty competition, had received a certificate of merit from Vietnam's prime minister. She promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies alongside fellow social media influencers Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc, both of whom also received two-year sentences.
"They committed the offense intentionally and gained a large illicit profit, so strict punishment is necessary," the court said of Tien and her co-defendants, based on the report by VnExpress. The court detailed that Kera Supergreens Gummies was a joint venture between Tien and a company established by the two other influencers, with Tien holding a 30 percent stake.
Last December, Tien promoted the product with the other two as a healthy candy containing the equivalent of a plate of vegetables per gummy. Investigators revealed that the gummies contained more than 30 percent sorbitol, an artificial sweetener with laxative effects, along with undisclosed additives.
The court disclosed that over 129,000 packs had been sold to more than 56,000 customers for over $650,000, with the three influencers netting a $473,000 profit. Tien gained popularity in Vietnam after winning the Bangkok beauty pageant in 2021 and subsequently received advertisement deals with various brands.