Losing oneself through betrayal.
(Baonghean.vn) - After a long time apart, the first thing I heard from him was a little confusing: "I can't believe they reduced his sentence!...". He's an officer in the law enforcement sector, so when I heard him say that, I asked him: Who is he that you're so concerned about him?
"Ah, that's Hoang Van Hung - the former investigator convicted of fraud and misappropriation of assets in the rescue flight case...", he replied.
The truth has come to light. Hoang Van Hung (former Head of Department at the Security Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security) was the defendant sentenced to life imprisonment by the first-instance court in the July 2023 repatriation flight case for fraud involving the misappropriation of assets worth $800,000. Among the defendants, Hoang Van Hung deserves recognition as the most "famous" defendant, receiving the most attention from the press and social media users.
Hung's "notoriety" stemmed from his claim that the briefcase contained four bottles of wine, and his repeated, defiant requests for evidence proving his receipt of the money from the prosecuting authorities; he even boldly declared in his final statement that he would "sacrifice his life to clear his name."
Recently, on December 23rd, two days before the appeal trial regarding the repatriation flight, the name Hoang Van Hung once again became a hot topic in newspapers and social media when he "unexpectedly pleaded guilty and returned the 18.8 billion VND bribe money."
Regarding Hoang Van Hung's reduced sentence, it's exactly as my friend, an official in the law enforcement sector, said. From being sentenced to life imprisonment, on December 27th, the Appellate Court (Hanoi High People's Court) accepted Hung's appeal and reduced his sentence to 20 years. The reason for the reduction, as reported in the press, is that Hung is no longer the same Hung as he was at the first trial; he has shown remorse, admitted his crimes, and returned the 18.8 billion VND he paid to influence the outcome of the trial.
Knowing this, I asked him again: "Even though Hoang Van Hung has recognized his mistake, shown remorse, and rectified the consequences, he should receive leniency from the law. Why are you still worried?" His face hardened, and his voice turned cold: "In our profession, nothing is more precious or sacred than comradeship and brotherhood. Hoang Van Hung was the main investigator handling the rescue flight case, but he colluded with outsiders, accepting money from those under investigation to influence the case. By committing such acts, Hung became a traitor to his comrades; he trampled on the most sacred and noble thing. We know that 'no one attacks a fleeing enemy, but no one attacks a returning enemy.' That the law always shows leniency to those who have repented and reformed. But with those who harbor the intention to betray their comrades and trample on the most sacred thing, we find it very difficult to overlook it…"
Listening to his story, I found it true. It reminded me of numerous cases involving officials and Party members in the law enforcement sector who violated the law; claiming to fight corruption but engaging in corruption and profiteering. For example, in the case of the illegal reduction of Phan Sào Nam's sentence, a number of officials and Party members of the Quang Ninh Provincial Court were disciplined by the Central Inspection Committee; or most recently, the case involving former National Assembly representative Lưu Bình Nhưỡng, accused of "Extortion" and "Abusing his position and power to influence others for personal gain"...
I saw them – all traitors to their comrades, forgetting what was sacred and noble; and they themselves had lost their own selves!
