Nghe An: Prosecution and temporary detention of Deputy Head of Market Management Team No. 8

According to a private source of Nghe An Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Van Quang - Deputy Head of Market Management Team No. 8 (Nghe An Market Management Department) was prosecuted and temporarily detained for 4 months by Thanh Chuong District Police.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quang was arrested on January 26, 2019, to investigate the crime of "Abusing position and power to appropriate property".

Previously, Thanh Chuong District Police also prosecuted Vo Thanh Vinh and Truong Van Cuong, both market inspectors of Market Management Team No. 8 (Market Management Department of Nghe An Province) to investigate the crime of "Abusing position and power to appropriate property". Both defendants Vo Thanh Vinh and Truong Van Cuong were detained for 4 months.

According to the initial investigation of the Thanh Chuong District Police Investigation Agency, on December 4, 2018, Mr. Nguyen Van Quang - Deputy Captain of Market Management Team No. 8, Head of the inspection team in charge of the area in Anh Son, together with Truong Van Cuong, Market Inspector; Vo Thanh Vinh - Market Inspector and Nguyen Thanh Thuy - driver of Market Management Team No. 8 used a car with license plate 37A - 003.43 to go to the house of Mr. Vi Van Hung (residing in Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district) to inspect Mr. Hung's medical practice business.

Defendants Cuong (left) and Vinh. Photo: ND

When they arrived, Cuong, Vinh, and Thuy went into Mr. Hung's house to meet him. There, Truong Van Cuong took out his market inspection card and introduced himself as a member of the market management force. Cuong then showed Mr. Hung a typed complaint and asked to check the records and procedures of Mr. Hung's herbal medicine dispensing facility.

Mr. Hung could not present any documents, so Truong Van Cuong pointed out 3 violations and said Mr. Hung could be fined from 50 million to 60 million VND.

Mr. Hung then gave these 3 people 6 million VND to avoid being prosecuted. Before leaving, these 3 officers sent Mr. Hung 2 documents (a commitment and a notice).

Camera footage captured a group of market management officers arriving at Mr. Vi Van Hung's house. Photo cut from Clip.

Previously, on December 25, 2018, Mr. Vi Van Hung sent a complaint to Thanh Chuong Police, reporting that on December 4, 2018, 3 people dressed as market management force officers came to his house, introducing themselves as officers of Market Management Team No. 8 - under the Market Management Department of Nghe An province. These 3 people asked Mr. Hung to give 6 million VND to avoid handling the violation.

Thanh Chuong Investigation Agency conducted verification, initial investigation and brought the case to resolution according to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 01/2017 on reporting, denouncing crimes, and recommending prosecution for this case.