Wife burst into tears when husband received death sentence for 10 million VND salary

Fall into sin because of greed

47 years old, Gia Xai Phia, residing in Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district, is a father of 6 children. In the mountainous commune, Phia earns a living by farming. To improve the family economy, Phia has often gone to Laos to trade buffalo and cows. Thanks to his quickness in doing business, his family's life has been less difficult and poor.

But then, from doing business with foreigners, Phia gradually went down the wrong path. Faced with the promises and enticements of the Laotian, Phia agreed to sell a large amount of drugs even though he knew that his behavior was against the law.

According to the indictment as well as the defendant’s testimony in court, through his previous acquaintance with Lau Ba Cha (a Laotian), Phia agreed to sell drugs for this person. In return, Phia would receive 10 million VND.

On the morning of February 5, 2022, Phia received a phone call from Cha directing him to take the drugs to a motel in Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district. Cha also told Phia to take 20,000 USD from selling the "goods". After the sale was completed, Phia would be paid as previously agreed.

Receiving instructions, Phia took the drugs and walked through the forest to the area near the motel to wait. At this time, Chá informed that two of his juniors were at the motel and would check to see if the money was real or fake. After Chá's juniors finished checking the money, Phia was ordered to bring the drugs into the room of the waiting guest.

However, while Phia was making the transaction, the police raided and arrested her with more than 4.1kg of drugs. As for the customer who bought the drugs, he took advantage of the chaos and quickly fled.

Wife's Tears

The trial proceeded quite quickly when the defendant admitted to the crime. Defendant Phia justified his actions in selling a large amount of drugs because of his difficult circumstances and lack of a stable income. Therefore, when promised to be paid 10 million VND, Phia agreed. However, Phia stated in court that he had not received any payment.

The representative of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province, who exercised the right to prosecute at the trial, requested the death penalty for the defendant due to the large amount of drugs. Facing the maximum sentence, the defendant explained his difficult circumstances and asked for a chance to live so that he and his wife could raise their children.

The defendant's legal assistant also presented a number of details to ask the court to consider giving the defendant a chance to live as an ethnic minority with limited legal awareness. The drugs were promptly prevented from spreading into society by the authorities, and in this case, the defendant had not yet had time to benefit from any money.

The wife burst into tears as she ran after the car taking her husband back to the detention camp. Photo: Tran Vu

Attending the trial as a person with related rights, Ms. Xong Y Po (46 years old, defendant’s wife) asked the Trial Panel to consider returning the phone that the investigation agency seized during the arrest of her husband. This woman gave the reason that it was her phone. “I had to sell several kilograms of ginger to buy that phone. My husband took it and used it without my knowledge. I ask the court to return the phone to me,” she told the Trial Panel.

The sentencing was perhaps the most anticipated moment for the defendant’s relatives. The wife’s voice trembled with tears, making Phia cry too. Phia kept apologizing to his wife and relatives. In that moment of reunion, the wife kept sobbing because she somehow knew the line between life and death for her husband was so fragile.

The jury found that although the defendant confessed honestly in this case and showed remorse for his crimes, he had traded a large amount of drugs and therefore needed to be severely punished for general deterrence and prevention. Considering the case as a whole, the court sentenced the defendant Gia Xai Phia to death for the crime of illegal trading of narcotics.

From the very beginning, when she decided to embark on the path of drug trafficking, Phia had more or less thought about the outcome of today. Therefore, when the court announced the sentence, Phia appeared quite calm. Only her relatives, wife and children felt disappointed, lost and in pain.

The court ended, the covered truck quickly rolled out of the court yard. Ms. Po tried to run after the truck but couldn't catch up, she burst into tears helplessly....