Ministry of Public Security publicly apologizes to two businessmen who were illegally detained

The Office of the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency has just sent invitations to the police of Binh Duong and Tien Giang provinces, as well as related units and individuals, to attend a public apology for two businessmen in Binh Duong who were illegally detained.

Accordingly, this agency will organize a public apology to Mr. Bui Manh Lan (born in 1957, former General Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hung Thinh Trading-Production-Construction Joint Stock Company) and Mr. Pham Van Huong (born in 1954, former Deputy Director of the company) for being prosecuted and illegally detained on March 5 at Dong An Industrial Park (Binh Duong).

Mr. Bui Manh Lan was detained without a legal warrant for a total of 41 days, from May 7, 2003 to June 11, 2003 and from July 28, 2003 to September 1, 2003. Mr. Pham Van Huong was detained without a legal warrant for 63 days, from May 7, 2003 to July 7, 2003.

These two businessmen were prosecuted by the Investigation Police Department of Tien Giang Province and temporarily detained to investigate the crime of disturbing public order.

According to the case file, in April 2003, Tien Giang Provincial Police initiated a case of "disturbing public order" at Binh Duong Gas Company (headquartered in Dong An Industrial Park, Thuan An Town, Binh Duong Province), invested by Hung Thinh Joint Stock Company, which occurred in September 2000.

On April 29, 2003, Mr. Bui Manh Lan and Mr. Pham Van Huong were arrested by the Ministry of Public Security in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City Police and Tien Giang Provincial Police for investigation.

According to the content of this case, in September 2000, due to conflicts in the process of business cooperation, Mr. Lan and Mr. Huong, along with some others, hired people from Nam Cam's gang to cause trouble and threaten the director and workers of Binh Duong Gas Company.

After dismantling the Nam Cam criminal gang, the Special Task Force reopened the case for investigation. Through the statements of the arrested subjects, the police determined that Mr. Lan and Mr. Huong had discussed and agreed to hire the subjects to go to Binh Duong Gas Company to cause trouble.

On April 29, 2003, Mr. Bui Manh Lan and Pham Van Huong were arrested by the investigation agency to investigate the act of disturbing public order.

Regarding the case, in 2005, Mr. Lan and Mr. Huong sent a petition to the Supreme People's Procuracy denouncing the illegal acts in the investigation of the case by a number of police officers of Tien Giang province.

After verification, on June 7, 2011, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Supreme People's Procuracy issued decisions to prosecute three Tien Giang Provincial Police officers, including Ngo Thanh Phong (former Head of the Police Department investigating crimes related to economic management order and positions), Nguyen Van Nen (former Head of Chau Thanh District Police) and Phan Van Ut (former Head of the General Staff Team of the Investigation Police Agency) for many serious violations in the prosecution activities leading to the illegal arrest and detention of people in Binh Duong.