5 police officers suspended from work related to suspect's death in detention

Ninh Thuan Province Police have suspended five police officers to investigate the death of a suspect in detention. The Supreme People's Procuracy's Investigation Agency has accepted the case.

On the afternoon of September 19, Colonel Pham Huyen Ngoc, Director of Ninh Thuan Provincial Police, said that he had temporarily suspended 5 officers and soldiers of the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police Department from work to investigate the death of suspect Vo Tan Minh (35 years old, residing in Phan Rang - Thap Cham City) in detention.

"The Ninh Thuan Provincial Police have temporarily suspended five officers and soldiers to clarify the violations. The case is being handled by the Supreme People's Procuracy's investigation agency," said Colonel Ngoc. On the same afternoon, the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper reported that the Supreme People's Procuracy's investigation agency had taken over the investigation. Based on the results of the scene investigation, autopsy, and collected evidence and documents, it was determined that a number of officers at the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police Detention Center, Ninh Thuan Province, showed signs of using torture against Minh and a decision was made to prosecute the criminal case for the crime of using torture under Article 298 of the Penal Code.

Photos of defendant Minh's injuries were posted on social media by his family. Photo: Thu Thuy.

Regarding this issue, Colonel Ngoc said he has not yet received a decision to prosecute the case as reported by the newspapers.

According to the police, Minh was arrested and prosecuted by Ninh Thuan Provincial Police for illegal drug trafficking. Minh was detained at the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police detention camp.

During the investigation, Minh was found to have committed a crime with a sentence of less than 15 years in prison, so the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police Department handed him over to Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police for handling according to their authority.

On September 8, Minh was taken to the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police Detention Center. Later that afternoon, the suspect was found seriously injured in his cell and was transferred to Ninh Thuan General Hospital for emergency treatment, where he later died.

After the incident, the investigation agency of the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam began investigating the case.

According to Zing