Prime Minister requests immediate halt to "Pho restaurant criminal case"

On the morning of April 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to request the authorities to immediately stop the criminal prosecution of the owner of the "Xin Chao" restaurant due to late business registration and clarify related responsibilities.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested to immediately stop prosecuting the owner of "Xin Chao" restaurant due to delay in business registration.

Speaking with Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Minister - Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said that this morning, April 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong to request the authorities to immediately stop the case of the owner of the "Xin Chao" coffee shop (in Tan Tuc town, Binh Chanh district, located opposite the new headquarters of the Binh Chanh District Police, Ho Chi Minh City) being prosecuted for delaying business registration.

“The Prime Minister also requested clarification of responsibilities, and at the same time, review of individuals and relevant authorities in the criminal prosecution of the pho restaurant. If there are serious violations, the official may be temporarily suspended from work,” said Mr. Mai Tien Dung.

According to Minister Mai Tien Dung, Ho Chi Minh City authorities must hold a press conference to announce the city's direction and steps in handling the case so that people and the press can clearly understand.

Previously, answering a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Dinh La Thang said that on April 19, immediately after the press published information about the case of the owner of the "Xin Chao" coffee shop being prosecuted for delaying business registration, he directed the Director of Ho Chi Minh City Police and the Director of the People's Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City to urgently clarify the case.

Secretary Dinh La Thang affirmed that if there are violations, the first thing to do is to strictly handle them, regain the people's trust, and ensure an equal and healthy business environment in the city for all people and businesses.

"If this prosecution is wrong, it must be immediately corrected. If it is not wrong, the authorities must clarify and inform the press and the people," said Mr. Dinh La Thang.

On the same day, responding to Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Pham Van Gon, Chief Prosecutor of Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy, said that he had asked the Binh Chanh District People's Procuracy to report the entire incident and had received a report from the subordinate agency. "After that, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy will meet with the City Police on the afternoon of April 21 and have official information about this incident on Friday, April 22," Mr. Gon said.

Regarding this incident, Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee, Ms. Le Thi Nga, said: "After receiving information about the "prosecution of a pho restaurant" in Binh Chanh district through the press, I asked the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Procuracy, Le Minh Tri, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Nguyen Hoa Binh, to direct the relevant agencies of Ho Chi Minh City to review and clarify the incident. The Chief Justice and the Chief Justice said that they would request the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court to report on the incident."

According to NLĐ