Five police officers suspended in connection with the death of a suspect in custody.

The Ninh Thuan Provincial Police have suspended five police officers pending an investigation into the death of a suspect in custody. The Supreme People's Procuratorate's investigative agency has taken over the case.

On the afternoon of September 19th, Colonel Pham Huyen Ngoc, Director of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police, announced that five judicial officers and soldiers of the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police have been temporarily suspended from duty pending an investigation into the death of suspect Vo Tan Minh (35 years old, residing in Phan Rang - Thap Cham City) in custody.

“The Ninh Thuan Provincial Police have temporarily suspended five officers and soldiers to clarify their misconduct; the case is being handled by the investigative agency of the Supreme People's Procuratorate,” Colonel Ngoc said. Later that same day, the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper reported that the investigative agency of the Supreme People's Procuratorate had launched an investigation. Based on the results of the scene examination, autopsy, and collected evidence and documents, it was determined that several 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 initiate a criminal case for the crime of using torture under Article 298 of the Penal Code.

Images of the suspect Minh's injuries were posted on social media by his family. Photo: Thu Thủy.

Regarding this matter, Colonel Ngoc stated that he has not yet received a decision to initiate criminal proceedings as reported by the media.

According to the police, Minh was arrested and charged by the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police with illegally buying and selling narcotics. Minh is being held in custody at the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police detention center.

During the investigation, it was determined that Minh's crime carried a sentence of less than 15 years in prison, so the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police Investigation Department handed the case over to the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police for handling according to their jurisdiction.

On September 8th, Minh was taken to the detention center of the Phan Rang - Thap Cham City Police. Later that afternoon, he was found to be seriously injured in his cell and was transferred to Ninh Thuan Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment, where he subsequently died.

Following the incident, the investigative agency of the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam launched an investigation into the case.

According to Zing