33 months in prison for 2 buffalo thieves

(Baonghean.vn) - On February 16, Tan Ky District People's Court opened a trial for defendants Nguyen Van Viet and Nguyen Dinh Nghiem, residing in Quy Hop Town (Quy Hop) for the crime of "Theft of property".

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According to the indictment, at the end of May 2016, Nguyen Van Viet went to visit his family members who were being re-educated at Prison No. 6, General Department VIII, Ministry of Public Security. On the way back, when passing through the Ho Chi Minh trail in Nghia Hanh commune, Tan Ky district, he saw a family raising buffaloes next to the Ho Chi Minh trail.

At around 10pm on June 3, 2016, Nghiem and Viet drove a 12-seat car with license plate number 37B - 015.42 from Quy Hop towards Tan Ky district. At around 1am on June 4, 2016, when passing Km 14 of Ho Chi Minh road in Nghia Hanh commune, Tan Ky district, Viet stole a buffalo from the house that Viet had targeted.

Defendants Nguyen Dinh Nghiem and Nguyen Van Viet at trial.

When they reached a road about 2 km from Dong Hieu intersection, they encountered a patrolling traffic police car that signaled them to stop for inspection. Nghiem stopped the car and showed his vehicle registration. After checking the car, they discovered a buffalo on the car, so the traffic police asked them to take both the buffalo and the person to the station to work. Taking advantage of the traffic police's negligence when signaling the truck to stop for administrative inspection going in the opposite direction, Viet and Nghiem fled, leaving behind the car and the buffalo.

More than 6 months later (December 8, 2016), Nguyen Dinh Nghiem and Nguyen Van Viet voluntarily went to Tan Ky District Police to confess their crimes.

In the asset valuation conclusion of the Valuation Council, it was concluded that the value of the lost buffalo of Mr. Le Chu Hai's family residing in Hamlet 11, Nghia Hanh Commune, Tan Ky District was 28,600,000 VND.

The panel of judges applied the provisions of Clause 1, Article 138 of the Penal Code. The panel sentenced defendant Nguyen Van Viet to 18 months in prison and Nguyen Dinh Nghiem to 15 months in prison with a suspended sentence.

It is worth mentioning that both defendants did not commit crimes for the first time. Previously, in 2011, Viet was sentenced by the People's Court of Quy Hop district to 5 months in prison, suspended, for the crime of "Gambling". In 2007, Nghiem was sentenced by the People's Court of Nghe An province to 30 months in prison, suspended, for the crime of "Illegal detention"./.

Phuong Hao