Prosecution of former deputy market manager for abuse of power

The prosecution agency changed Mr. Chau Hoai Phuong's charge from lack of responsibility to abuse of position and power while performing official duties.

On January 1, the Investigation Security Agency of Soc Trang Province Police decided to change the decision to prosecute Mr. Chau Hoai Phuong, former Deputy Director of the Market Management Department of Soc Trang Province. Accordingly, this agency changed the crime from lack of responsibility causing serious consequences to the crime of abusing position and power while performing official duties according to Article 281 of the Penal Code.

Previously, in June 2017, the Investigation Security Agency prosecuted Mr. Phuong for lack of responsibility...

According to the initial investigation, in April 2016, the interdisciplinary inspection team of agricultural materials in Soc Trang province, led by Mr. Phuong, inspected an enterprise in Nga Nam town (Soc Trang). Through the inspection, the enterprise did not have a dossier declaring the conformity of three types of fertilizers and two types of pesticides. The inspection team took three samples of fertilizers for testing.

During the performance of their duties, the inspection team did not comply with the provisions of the law. The results of the two tests of the company's fertilizer samples were all substandard, providing sufficient grounds for administrative or criminal action. However, the inspection team conducted a third test at the request of a unit unrelated to the subject of the inspection. The result was that this test was substandard.

Defendant Chau Hoai Phuong. Photo: HY

From this third result, the inspection team concluded that the enterprise did not violate any regulations, did not handle or release the sealed low-quality fertilizer, and gave the enterprise owner full rights to consume it, causing damage to farmers.

After her husband was prosecuted and temporarily detained, the defendant Phuong's wife sent petitions to many authorities to appeal for her husband's innocence.

According to her presentation, in Mr. Phuong's inspection team, there was a leader of the Economic Police Department of Soc Trang Provincial Police as deputy head of the team, and members also included the deputy chief inspector of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang province...

The interdisciplinary inspection team took samples of three types of inorganic fertilizers from a company in Nga Nam town. After the first and additional tests of two fertilizer samples showed results that did not meet the standards stated on the packaging, the inspection team met and agreed to resolve the company's complaint by having the remaining sample tested and found to be of good quality.

Since then, the interdisciplinary team has agreed not to impose any fines and return the goods to the company. According to her, Mr. Phuong's arrest was unjust because her husband was doing the right thing and performing the assigned duties.

According to PLO