'Protecting' rice harvesters, 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 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 to demand protection money of 1.5 million VND.

Seeing the men demanding money, Hai's wife Lien reacted and did not agree. Hiep immediately took a sharp knife and ran down to the field, approached the harvester and threatened to attack Hai, preventing him from continuing to harvest the rice. Hiep then used the knife to press it against Lien's neck.

Because he was so scared, Mr. Hai later 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