Duong Tu Trong case will be publicly tried on August 28

On the afternoon of August 22, Deputy Chief Justice of Hai Phong City People's Court Pham Duc Tuyen said that at 8:00 a.m. on August 28, at the headquarters of Hai Phong City People's Court, Hai Phong City People's Court will publicly hold a first-instance trial of the criminal case against Duong Tu Trong for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties."

Defendant Duong Tu Trong in court. Photo: VNA

On May 23, the Supreme People's Court sentenced defendant Duong Tu Trong to 16 years in prison for "Organizing others to flee abroad," and he is currently in detention.

According to the indictment, from 2001-2002, defendant Duong Tu Trong (then Head of the Criminal Police Department, Hai Phong City Police) had a close relationship with Dong Xuan Phong, an officer of the Anti-smuggling Team - Hai Phong City Customs Department.

On August 18, 2009, the Investigation Police Agency, Ho Chi Minh City Police issued a Decision to prosecute and issue an Order to temporarily detain Dong Xuan Phong for the crime of "Smuggling."

Due to Phong's escape, on October 16, 2009, the Investigation Police Agency, Ho Chi Minh City Police Department issued a nationwide wanted notice for Dong Xuan Phong.

In addition to sending the decision, Ho Chi Minh City Police also sent officers to directly coordinate with Hai Phong City Police to arrest Dong Xuan Phong but failed to arrest him (although Phong often hid in Hai Phong during this time).

On April 22, 2011, the Criminal Investigation Police Department, Hai Phong City Police reported on the screening of wanted subjects with permanent residence in Hai Phong (including Dong Xuan Phong) to defendant Duong Tu Trong (at that time Deputy Director, Head of the Investigation Police Agency, Hai Phong City Police), but defendant Trong did not give any direction, nor did he organize or deploy forces to carry out the arrest according to his assigned functions and tasks, although since 2010, defendant Trong had clearly known that Phong was wanted by Ho Chi Minh City Police for being involved in an economic case.

On May 17, 2012, after receiving notice from Mr. Duong Chi Dung (Duong Tu Trong's brother) that he was being prosecuted and ordered temporarily detained by the Investigation Police Agency and the Ministry of Public Security, defendant Trong instructed Dung to go to Trong's girlfriend's house to hide and wait for Trong's people to pick him up.

Then, on May 18, 2012, defendant Duong Tu Trong asked Dong Xuan Phong (who was on the run in Hai Phong) through Vu Tien Son (then Deputy Head of the Department of Investigation Police on Social Order Crimes, Hai Phong City Police) to coordinate to organize for Mr. Duong Chi Dung to escape abroad.

The trial is scheduled to take place on August 28. The case has only one defendant, Duong Tu Trong. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, Lawyer - Hung Giang Law Office (under the Hanoi Bar Association) defended the defendant Duong Tu Trong.

According to Vietnam+