Arrested 2 reporters for extorting money from businesses
Pham Gia Thanh and Dang Hai Nam were arrested by authorities while extorting money from a business.
On the morning of April 2, according to information from the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Police, the Investigation Police Agency has just initiated a case, prosecuted the accused and temporarily detained for 4 months Pham Gia Thanh (born in 1993, residing in Tung Lam village, Nam Dien commune, Thach Ha district), a journalist of Open Sky Magazine and Dang Hai Nam (born in 1981, residing in Block 2, Nam Ha ward, Ha Tinh city, Ha Tinh province), a reporter of Business Magazine for the crime of "Extortion of property".
Thanh and Nam were arrested while taking advantage of press activities to extort VND10,000,000 from a business in Huong Khe town, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh.
According to initial information, Pham Gia Thanh and Dang Hai Nam took advantage of press activities to learn about issues of agencies, organizations and individuals in Ha Tinh province.
Then Thanh and Nam will contact and reflect those issues to relevant agencies, organizations and individuals with the aim of pressuring and threatening to write articles for publication in newspapers.
The individuals and organizations involved were afraid that their articles would be published in newspapers and would affect their reputation and honor, and that of their agencies and organizations, so they asked to meet and give money to Thanh and Nam. The amount of money embezzled was divided equally between Thanh and Nam.
Using the above tricks, from about December 2023 to March 27, 2024, Pham Gia Thanh and Dang Hai Nam appropriated nearly 100 million VND from 6 individuals who were construction units in Ha Tinh province.
Any agencies, organizations, or individuals who have been taken advantage of by Pham Gia Thanh and Dang Hai Nam through press activities to intimidate and appropriate property should contact the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Provincial Police, address 268 Nguyen Huy Tu Street, Nguyen Du Ward, Ha Tinh City, Ha Tinh Province, or investigator Dau Viet Dung - Phone number 0983038486.
