Debt collection, ex-police turned criminal

On April 29, the City People’s Court. Ho Chi Minh City opened a first-instance trial for defendant Nguyen Trung Kien (46 years old, living in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi), Tran Xuan Tung (33 years old, native of Thai Nguyen) and Vuong Quoc Hoa (31 years old, living in Hanoi). in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City) for the crime of “Illegal arrest”.

According to the prosecution, Kien originally worked at the Department of Homeland Security of the Ministry of Public Security. In February 2020, he retired and worked at ATK Hanoi Co., Ltd., as the Director in charge of external economic and legal affairs.

Because ATK Company has signed a contract to buy and sell gloves with Yu Chung Global Co., Ltd. based in Hiep Thanh Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City) led by Ms. Tran Thuy Van, so on January 29, 2021, ATK Company transferred to Yu Chung Global Company an amount of more than 5.4 billion VND to pay a deposit to buy gloves.

Because she could not supply the goods, Ms. Van returned 2.5 billion VND to ATK Company in advance, and still owed more than 2.9 billion VND.

After that, Kien was authorized by the Director of ATK Company to settle the debt with Yu Chung Global Company. Kien called Mrs. Van to make an appointment to meet her, but because Ms. Van was going to Da Lat, she asked Mr. Kim Byeong Su (Korean nationality) to meet Kien to confirm the debt.

On February 26, 2021, after meeting Mr. Kim Byeong Su at a pub on Pham Van Dong Street (Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City), Kien called Hoa to buy a bone-cutting knife and bring it to him. At this time, Tung also flew in from Hanoi, went to a pub to meet Kien.

At 5:00 p.m. on the same day, Mr. Kim Byeong Su went to Kien to give a certificate of debt. Expressing anger that she could not meet Mrs. Van, Kien asked Mr. Kim Byeong Su to sit down to contact Mrs. Van. Kien then claimed to be a police officer and threatened Mr. Kim Byeong Su, “from this moment on, if you touch your phone or get out of here, someone will execute you right away”.

A little later, Hoa, Tung and some of Kien’s friends, including some Chinese, went to the bar to drink with Kien. During the conversation, Kien told about Ms. Van’s failure to provide gloves as signed, causing great damage to ATK Company.

Next, Kien asked Mr. Kim Byeong Su to call Mrs. Van and ask to meet and talk. Because she was in Da Lat, Ms. Van paid an additional 1 billion VND to ATK Company. However, Kien was still angry and tore up Mrs. Van’s debt certificate and loudly threatened Mr. Kim Byeong Su. At the same time, Hoa took a knife to cut his own hand bleeding and then to threaten Mr. Kim Byeong Su.

At 23:30 on the same day, when the staff announced that the shop was about to close, Kien took a pen and paper to force Mr. Kim Byeong Su to write a commitment letter with the content that Mr. Kim Byeong Su voluntarily followed Kien. However, Mr. Kim Byeong Su disagreed. Seeing that, Kien snatched Mr. Kim Byeong Su’s phone and asked him to come with him to help find Mrs. Van.

After that, Kien, Tung, Hoa took Mr. Kim Byeong Su to Tung’s inn.

On March 1, 2021, Mrs. Van contacted Kien to ask about Mr. Kim Byeong Su, but Kien said that she did not manage him. Fearing for the safety of Mr. Kim Byeong Su, Ms. Van reported it to the police.

When she learned that Ms. Van had reported to the police, Kien took Mr. Kim Byeong Su to the police station of ward 1, Go Vap district. On March 4, 2021, Kien, Hoa and Tung were urgently arrested.

At the trial, the defendants sincerely confessed their crimes.

Having the last word, defendant Kien accepted all responsibility for himself and asked the jury to reduce the punishment for Hoa and Tung.

Considering that, the criminal acts of the accused have infringed upon the inviolability of the body and personal freedom of citizens, causing social disorder.

However, the defendants sincerely confessed and repented, so after considering, the trial panel sentenced defendant Kien to 1 year and 6 months in prison; Defendants Hoa and Tung were each sentenced to 13 months and 25 days in prison. In accordance with their detention time, these two defendants were released immediately at court.

Thanh Phuong