Former Chief of Tay Ho District Police appeals for injustice in case of illegal release

On September 5, the Hanoi People's Court announced that Mr. Le was the only one of the four defendants to appeal the entire first instance verdict and claim innocence.

Previously, in the first instance trial opened on August 14, the former chief of Tay Ho police was found guilty.Accept bribes,lower than the proposed sentence of the People's Procuracy (9-10 years in prison). Three former police officers under Mr. Le's command at Tay Ho District Police were sentenced to 4-10 months in prison becauseIllegally releasing an arrestee, a person being detained, imprisoned, or a person serving a prison sentence.

Mr. Phung Anh Le at the first instance trial. Photo:Famous Places

The verdict determined that in September 2016, Nguyen Huu Tai turned himself in for his actions with an accomplice in kidnapping and beating a person who owed money. Upon verification, investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department of Tay Ho District Police found that Tai had signs of many other crimes, so they proposed to detain him for investigation.

Tai's relatives went to see Mr. Phung Van Bay (Mr. Le's uncle) for help. Mr. Bay raised the issue and Mr. Le set a condition of "paying" 110 million VND. On the evening of September 22, 2016, Mr. Bay handed over the money at Mr. Le's office.

At around midnight on September 23, 2016, Tai was allowed to return home after less than a day of detention. In the following days, the Criminal Investigation Department repeatedly requested Mr. Le's permission to continue the investigation. However, Mr. Le did not agree to do so, and many officers were also "excluded" from the case.

On January 22, 2021, Hanoi police reopened the case file and initiated criminal proceedings, prosecuting Tai and his accomplices for the crime.Robbery.The violations of Mr. Le and his subordinates were clarified.

In court, Mr. Le denied all accusations, pleaded innocent, and said that the investigation agency and prosecutors had not acted objectively. Mr. Le said that the People's Procuracy had no physical evidence and relied only on the testimony of witnesses and subordinates to accuse him. Meanwhile, these officials all had "previous grudges and resentment" so they only presented evidence that was unfavorable to him.

Mr. Le requested to review Mr. Bay's witness qualifications, saying that he is a "gambling addict" who often takes advantage of his position and reputation for personal gain.

However, when confronted in court, the defendants all testified in accordance with the content of the case, saying that "they had to follow Mr. Le's orders and could not disobey."

The prosecution agency affirmed that it had worked objectively and impartially. The prosecution of Mr. Le on only one charge "demonstrates the humanity of the law."

In his final words, Mr. Le said he would "cry out his injustice until death."

The court said there was sufficient basis to confirm that Mr. Le received 110 million VND from Tai's family, then verbally instructed his subordinates to release Tai from the detention house without following legal procedures.

"The defendants' actions have affected the reputation of the prosecution agency, especially the investigation agency, and caused a loss of trust among the people," the verdict stated, adding that the incident also involved the responsibility of some police officers in Tay Ho district. In addition, regarding individuals who showed signs of bribery, the panel of judges recommended that the authorities take measures to review and handle them.

The panel of judges also recommended that the investigation agency and the Supreme People's Procuracy clarify the responsibilities of those involved in the illegal alteration and loss of case files of the released defendant.