The High Court partially overturned the first instance verdict related to the mother of a female student who delivered chicken in Dien Bien.

The High People's Court in Hanoi has opened an appeal hearing for the case "Illegal drug trafficking"related to defendant Tran Thi Hien (born 1975, mother of chicken delivery girl Cao Thi MD) on May 18 and 19.

On the afternoon of May 19, the appellate court decided to annul the entire first instance judgment related to the prosecution and trial of Tran Thi Hien (born in 1975, mother of chicken delivery woman Cao Thi MD) because there was not enough evidence to convict the defendant of "Illegal drug trafficking".

Previously, at the first instance trial held on November 27, 2019, Dien Bien Provincial People's Court sentenced Tran Thi Hien to 20 years in prison, Bui Van Cong to 20 years in prison, Vi Thi Thu and Luong Van Hung to life in prison for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".

Defendant Vi Van Toan was sentenced to life in prison for the crimes of "Illegal drug trafficking" and "Concealing illegal drug use". The two defendants Tran Thi Hien and Vi Thi Thu filed an appeal to the High People's Court in Hanoi.

Defendant Tran Thi Hien (born in 1975, mother of chicken delivery girl Cao Thi MD). Photo from previous court hearing

On July 14, 2021, the appeal trial of the two defendants had to be postponed for the third time to verify and collect additional documentary evidence. The reason was that during the questioning, debate and defense of the lawyers at the trial, the representative of the High-level People's Procuracy in Hanoi said that the first-instance verdict of the Dien Bien Provincial People's Court against the defendant Vi Thi Thu was the right person and the right crime.

However, for defendant Tran Thi Hien, the first instance verdict of Dien Bien Provincial People's Court is not yet solidly grounded, and many details have not been clarified.

Therefore, the High-Level People's Procuracy in Hanoi proposed to return the investigation file against defendant Tran Thi Hien.

According to the indictment of the People's Procuracy of Dien Bien province, the case has 5 defendants including: Vi Thi Thu (born 1982), Vi Van Toan (born 1982), Bui Van Cong (born 1975), Luong Van Hung (born 1991) and Tran Thi Hien (born 1975), all with permanent residence in Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province.

In May 2017, Tran Thi Hien met Bui Van Cong to buy 4 heroin cakes at the price Cong offered of 160 million VND/cake. After that, Cong went to find Vi Thi Thu (Vi Van Toan's wife) to place an order for 600 million VND to buy 4 heroin cakes.

Next, Thu went to the border to buy goods, but only bought 2 cakes and then brought them back home to hide for her husband to keep.

At the end of May 2017, Bui Van Cong invited Luong Van Hung to Vi Thi Thu's house to get drugs to deliver to Tran Thi Hien. When Bui Van Cong delivered 2 heroin cakes to Tran Thi Hien, Hien gave 290 million VND and owed 30 million VND.

During the interrogation, Vi Thi Thu only admitted to selling 4 pink pills to Bui Van Cong and did not admit to buying and selling the 2 heroin cakes. Defendant Tran Thi Hien did not admit to the accusation and said she did not know Bui Van Cong.