(Baonghean.vn) -While serving a probationary sentence for fraud, Dung transported explosives from Hanoi to Quy Hop district to sell to quarries and was caught red-handed by the Nghe An police.

On May 7th, the People's Court of Nghe An province held an appeal hearing in the case of illegal trading of explosives against Nguyen Chi Dung (born in 1962), residing in Quang Trung ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi.

According to the case file, in June 2008, Nguyen Chi Dung was sentenced by the Dong Anh District People's Court, Hanoi, to 36 months of imprisonment with a 5-year probation period for the crime of fraud and appropriation of property. Although still on probation, driven by greed and a desire for quick and illegal wealth accumulation, Dung sought refuge in Nghe An province to engage in the illegal trade of explosives.

During his market research, Dung noticed that there were many quarries operating day and night in Quy Hop district, requiring large quantities of explosives. Therefore, Dung sought to transport explosives from Hanoi to Quy Hop to sell to quarry owners for profit.

On April 18, 2012, when Dung was transporting 203,000 sticks of dynamite to a quarry in Bac Son commune, Quy Hop district, he was discovered and caught red-handed by a task force of the Nghe An Provincial Police Investigation Agency. Subsequently, Nguyen Chi Dung was charged with the crime.Illegal trading of explosives is punishable under Clause 2, Article 232 of the Penal Code.

In mid-2012, the Quy Hop District Court tried the case and sentenced Nguyen Chi Dung to 3 years in prison. Considering the sentence too harsh, Dung filed an appeal, requesting a reduction in his sentence.

At the appeal hearing on May 7, 2013, Nguyen Chi Dung sincerely confessed to all his crimes. He also presented evidence showing remorse and repentance. While in detention awaiting trial, Dung had assisted the police in solving two gambling cases involving 11 participants. The panel of judges determined that Dung's crimes were extremely dangerous, involving a large quantity of explosives, and that his actions seriously affected public safety, public order, and the management of explosives in the area. Furthermore, the defendant had a poor family background and was currently serving a probationary sentence for a previous crime of fraud and misappropriation of property. Despite this, the judge, presiding over the trial, also considered Dung's assistance to the investigating authorities and his parents' contributions to the revolution, and therefore partially agreed to Dung's appeal to demonstrate leniency.

At the end of the trial, Dung's sentence was reduced to 2 years of imprisonment. According to the law, during the probationary period, those on probation are not allowed to commit new crimes. If they commit a new crime during this period, the court will decide to force them to serve the prison sentence of the previous conviction and combine it with the sentence of the new conviction as stipulated in Article 51 of the Criminal Code. In Dung's case, he committed a crime while on probation under his previous 3-year suspended sentence, so the suspended sentence has now been converted to imprisonment with an equivalent term. Therefore, combining the two sentences, Nguyen Chi Dung must serve 5 years of imprisonment.

Nguyen Khoa