46 months in prison for 'begging' from a bus company

(Baonghean.vn) - On September 28, the People's Court of Nghia Dan district held a public trial of three young men residing in Nghia Dan district for the crimes of "Extortion of property" and "Intentionally damaging property".

At around 8:00 p.m. on February 23, 2017, Vu Ngoc Dung (residing in Tan Dong block, Nghia Dan town) and Phan Ly Huynh (residing in Phu Loi hamlet, Nghia Phu commune) also invited each other to follow the Huynh Trinh passenger bus, license plate 37B - 016.63, driven by Duong Van Hoang, to stop and ask for money.

The three defendants Vu Ngoc Dung, Phan Ly Huynh, and Huynh Hung in the dock. Photo by Minh Thai.

Huynh used his motorbike to block the front of Hung Trinh passenger bus. Dung got in the passenger bus and threatened the driver: If the bus company did not give him money, Dung would not let the bus go. Because he was afraid that Dung would block the bus and delay the pick-up time, Duong Van Hoang agreed to give Vu Ngoc Dung 100,000 VND, including 2 polymer bills worth 50,000 VND.

At around 8:00 p.m. on April 2, 2017, Dung, Huynh, and Huynh Hung (living in Phu Loi hamlet, Nghia Phu commune) went along the bus to ask for money. But this time, Duong Van Hoang did not give them any money. Dung let the bus go, but he was still angry because the bus did not give him any money.

Dung called Huynh and told him: The bus company is so rude that they don't give him the money and throw rocks at the bus company. At that time, Huynh and Hung saw Hung Trinh's bus approaching. Hung stopped the bus so Huynh could get off the road and pick up 2 rocks to throw at the bus. One rock missed, the other hit and broke the glass of the third compartment on the left side of the bus. Hung then drove Huynh away.

The 1.95m long, 1.42m wide glass panel of the Hung Trinh passenger car with license plate 37B - 016.63 was damaged by rocks thrown by the subjects and is worth 2,750,000 VND.

At the trial, Vu Ngoc Dung, Phan Ly Huynh, and Huynh Hung confessed their crimes. Applying Clause 1, Article 135 of the Penal Code and Clause 1, Article 143 of the Penal Code, Vu Ngoc Dung was sentenced to 22 months in prison; Phan Ly Huynh to 18 months in prison for the crimes of "Extortion" and "Intentional damage to property" and Huynh Hung to 6 months in prison and compensation of 4 million VND for the crime of "Intentional damage to property"./.

Minh Thai