Having a conflict with the Commune Chairman, the female volleyball team captain incited someone to cut down 28 Dien grapefruit trees.

On the afternoon of September 4, the Nghi Loc District Police Investigation Agency announced: The unit is temporarily detaining Vo Thi Thanh Hai (born 1975), residing in Hamlet 4, Nghi Hop Commune and Phung Van Minh (born 1989), residing in Long Xuan Hamlet, Nghi Khanh Commune to investigate and clarify the act of property destruction.

Previously, on the morning of August 21, Nghi Loc District Police received a report from Nghi Hop Commune Police that on the night of August 20, in the 2-year-old Dien grapefruit garden of Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha (born in 1961), Chairman of Nghi Hop Commune People's Committee, and Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phong (born in 1950), both residing in Hamlet 4 of this commune, thieves had cut down 3 rows of grapefruit trees and 28 trees, causing a total loss of about 15 million VND. This Dien grapefruit garden is a model of crop conversion under the program to support the implementation of the goal of building a new rural area.

A 2-year-old Dien grapefruit garden was cut down, causing estimated damage of 15 million VND. Photo:Nhat Tuan

Because most of the destroyed Dien grapefruit trees belonged to Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, public opinion spread false rumors about the cause of the destruction. Determining that the case was sensitive and complicated in terms of security and order, Nghi Loc District Police reported to the Provincial Police leaders and coordinated with the Provincial Police Criminal Police Department to establish Project 819CB to investigate and clarify the matter.

After collecting all the evidence, at 4:00 p.m. on August 30, Nghi Loc District Police presided over and coordinated with the Provincial Police Criminal Police Department to arrest Phung Van Minh, the subject who directly used a knife to chop down 28 Dien grapefruit trees of Mr. Ha's and Mr. Phong's households.

Based on Minh's testimony, on the same afternoon, the investigation agency arrested Vo Thi Thanh Hai, the person who incited the subject to chop down the grapefruit trees on the evening of August 20.

At the investigation agency, both Phung Van Minh and Vo Thi Thanh Hai admitted their crimes. Initially, Hai confessed: Previously, Nghi Hop commune organized the 2019 Women's Volleyball Tournament. Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee was the Head of the Organizing Committee.

Because the women's volleyball team of hamlet 4, captained by Hai, did not participate in the competition according to the drawn schedule, the tournament organizing committee decided not to allow the women's volleyball team of hamlet 4 to participate in this year's tournament.

Feeling resentful and believing that this decision was made by Mr. Ha - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, Hai sought revenge. On the evening of August 19, the subject called an acquaintance named Phung Van Minh in Nghi Khanh Commune to his house and discussed cutting down Mr. Ha's grapefruit garden.

When Minh agreed, Hai took the subject to the grapefruit garden to point out 3 rows of trees that needed to be cut down. At about 8:00 p.m. the next day, Phung Van Minh did as Hai asked. Because Hai pointed wrongly, Minh also cut down a row of grapefruit trees next to Mr. Phong's house.

Currently, the investigation agency is consolidating the case file to prosecute the case and prosecute the accused according to regulations.