Ex-policeman received 6 years in prison when he received 300 million to run sentence

On April 19, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City opened the second first instance trial against defendant Pham Quang Tien (57 years old, a former police officer working at the Police Department for administrative management of social order and public order). Ho Chi Minh City has been stripped of its military citizenship) for the crime of “fraudulent appropriation of property”; Tran Thi Dieu Trang (52 years old, living in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) for the crime of “Brokering bribes”; two defendants Nguyen Vu Thanh Thuy (48 years old) and Nguyen Long (41 years old, living in Binh Tan district) on the charge of “giveting bribes”.

Previously, at the first instance hearing in December 2020, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City sentenced defendant Tien to 8 years in prison; defendants Thuy and Long, each defendant 3 years and 6 months in prison; defendant Trang 4 years and 6 months in prison.

The defendants then filed an appeal. At the appellate session, the High People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City announced the cancellation of all to re-investigate. However, the prosecution still maintains the original prosecution position.

According to the prosecution, on November 15, 2018, defendant Trang received a phone call from her adopted son, Nguyen Duy, informing him that he was being arrested for being involved in a burglary and asked Trang to take care of it.

After that, Trang contacted Pham Quang Tien for help. Tien agreed and asked to give himself 300 million VND to “run the sentence”. Trang reported back to Duy for 320 million VND.

Receiving Trang’s notice, Duy called his sister Nguyen Vu Thanh Thuy to report the incident and asked Thuy and her family to take care of money and give it to Trang.

4 days later, Thuy and her younger brother, Nguyen Long, went to Trang’s hotel on Dong Xoai Street (Binh Tan District) to deliver money.

Even though he had given the money to run the sentence in full at Trang’s request, he was still being arrested, so Duy informed Thuy. Suspecting Trang to cheat, Thuy made a complaint to the police.

From the testimony of those involved, Tien was arrested. At the police station, Tien declared that he gave all the money he received from Trang to a friend named Dinh Duy H. (working at the People’s Procuracy).

Tien also provided an audio recording proving the delivery of money between Tien and Mr. H.

However, in the recording, Tien did not specify the origin of the amount, the purpose as well as the actual amount in the transaction.

According to the assessment conclusion issued by the Criminal Science Sub-Institute of the Ministry of Public Security, the voice sample in the above recording is of poor quality and is not qualified to conduct the assessment.

In relation to the case, Nguyen Duy has signs of the crime of “Bribery”, but the money delivery and receipt process took place, Duy did not witness and did not perform. Therefore, the traffic police consider that there is not enough basis to handle Duy for the crime of “Giving bribes”.

Considering that the defendant’s behavior has caused a bad influence in society. However, defendant Tien paid back 50 million dong of illegal profits to partially overcome the consequences. Besides, when the defendant was still working, he had many outstanding achievements, so this is also a circumstance for the jury to consider mitigating a part of the penalty.

Therefore, after considering, the trial panel sentenced defendant Tien to 6 years in prison, defendant Trang 4 to 6 years and 6 months in prison; The two defendants Thuy and Long were each sentenced to 3 years in prison, but they were given suspended sentences.

Thanh Phuong