'Protecting' rice harvester, sentenced to 16 months in prison

((Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of September 27, the People's Court of Do Luong district tried the defendants: Nguyen Hong Diep (born 1899) and Thai Van Hiep (born 1988), residing in Hamlet 6, Thinh Son Commune, Do Luong District, for the act of "Extortion of property" as prescribed in Article 135 of the Penal Code.

According to the indictment of the Procuracy: On June 1, 2016, after being asked by a multi-purpose harvester owner in Yen Son commune to find rice fields that needed to be harvested, he would be paid 30,000 VND per sao, and at the same time, if there were any strange harvesters, he would not be allowed to harvest in the area.

Illustration photo.

After accepting the offer, Hiep saw that the harvester of Mr. Hoang Van Hai (born in 1968) in Xuan Son commune was harvesting rice for people in his commune, so he and Diep approached him again to demand protection money of 1.5 million VND.

Seeing the subjects demanding money, Ms. Lien, Mr. Hai's wife, reacted and did not agree. Hiep immediately took a sharp knife and ran down to the field, near the harvester, threatening to attack Mr. Hai, preventing him from continuing to harvest rice. Then Hiep also used the knife to hold close to Ms. Lien's neck.

Because he was so scared, Mr. Hai called to negotiate and gave the two subjects 1 million VND.

For the above acts, the Trial Council sentenced: Thai Van Hiep to 12 months in prison, Nguyen Hong Diep to 4 months in prison.

Truong Duyen