The defendant, who claimed to have been "given" drugs and guns, received a 20-year prison sentence.
(Baonghean.vn) - At the trial, the panel of judges determined that Hoai's claim that the drugs and gun were "given" to her was unfounded, demonstrating a lack of sincerity and evasiveness on the part of the defendant.
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| Defendant Tran Minh Hoai. Photo: Truong Duyen |
On the afternoon of May 25th, the Nghe An Provincial People's Court continued the trial of Tran Minh Hoai (born in 1970, residing in Dien Hong commune, Dien Chau district) for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics".
Previously, in 2006, Tran Minh Hoai was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Nghe An Provincial People's Court; in January 2018, Hoai was sentenced to 30 months in prison by the Vinh City People's Court for the same crime.
According to the indictment of the Provincial People's Procuracy, at approximately 8:00 AM on December 14, 2017, Tran Minh Hoai purchased 72.23g of heroin and 211.09g of synthetic drugs from a man named Bo, whose identity and address are unknown, for 100 million VND, but was allowed to pay 40 million VND later.
On December 15th, Hoai was preparing to sell the drugs to a man named Tuan and another man in Quang Nam province when she was caught red-handed by the police in Hoang Mai town.
At the trial on May 21, 2018, Tran Minh Hoai acknowledged that his actions violated the law but requested the court to consider the charge as "possessing the drugs for personal use, not for sale."
Hoài repeatedly asserted that the drugs, gun, and weighing scale were "given" to him by someone else, and that he had evidence to prove it, all stored on his smartphone. However, he claimed he did not know where the phone was. Considering the need to clarify Hoài's testimony, the court decided to adjourn the trial and will summon the relevant officials and witnesses to clarify this information.
During this afternoon's court session, the panel of judges announced the results of the verification of Tran Minh Hoai's testimony from police units. All documents and evidence confirmed that the defendant's claim that the drugs seized in the case originated from the police was unfounded.
Defendant Tran Minh Hoai failed to provide further evidence consistent with his testimony at the previous trial. Hoai admitted that he was selling drugs retail to satisfy his addictions because he lacked a stable job.
The panel of judges determined that the Nghe An Provincial People's Procuracy's indictment of Tran Minh Hoai for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics" was correct in identifying the perpetrator and the crime. The defendant's claim that the drugs were given to him by the police was unfounded. Tran Minh Hoai is criminally liable for the illegal trafficking of 72.23g of heroin and 211.09g of synthetic drugs.
Considering all aspects of the case, including aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel of judges sentenced Tran Minh Hoai to 20 years in prison for the aforementioned crime. Combined with the 30-month prison sentence for "Illegal trafficking of narcotics" previously handed down by the Vinh City People's Court (which has not yet been served), Tran Minh Hoai must serve a total of 22 years and 6 months in prison.
