Consider disciplining forest rangers for making arbitrary, baseless statements

Admit your mistake

Regarding the video that is circulating on social media about the scuffle whileForest rangers inspect vehiclestransporting goods on Vinh bypass (Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen), talking to Nghe An Newspaper on the morning of October 23, Mr. Bach Quoc Dung - Head of the Forestry Sub-Department said that he had assigned Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Head of the Sub-Department to be in charge of a working group to focus on verifying and clarifying.

Verification record of the Forestry Sub-Department's working group. Photo: PV

On October 24, Deputy Director of the Forest Protection Department Nguyen Anh Tuan said that the initial verification results were available. Regarding the content of the incident, the Head of the Mobile Forest Protection and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2, Mr. Ho Sy Trung reported to the Delegation as in the report sent to the Forest Protection Department on October 21.

Specifically, the Team received information that a truck with license plate 29H - 82432 would be traveling from Dak Lak to the North, through Nghe An; illegal forest products were hidden on the vehicle. The Team assigned Mr. Tran Duc Tuan to be in charge of a 4-person working group to check the car according to the information. At 4:30 p.m. on October 20, the team discovered this car traveling from Ha Tinh to the North on the Vinh bypass, in Hung Tay commune (Hung Nguyen). The team signaled the car to stop for the third time, before the driver stopped. Afterwards, Mr. Tran Duc Tuan met the driver and presented the dispatch order, requesting to carry out the assigned task, but the driver and assistant did not cooperate, had an opposing and challenging attitude, and brought equipment to record the team's work process.

Faced with the uncultured and insulting words to the honor of the person performing official duties, some people standing by were indignant, some people gave the driver advice. However, the driver and the assistant still used bad words, even insulting the people who gave advice. One person was so upset that he could not keep calm, slapped the assistant and led to a fight.

The brawl on October 20, 2022. (Photo cut from clip)

The working group tried to stop the onlookers and asked them to disperse, but the driver said that the working group called someone to beat the bus company. Only after being analyzed did the driver understand the problem and no longer resist. The working group also complied with the regulations of Circular 27/2018/BNN-PTNT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in inspecting and tracing the origin of forest products. During the inspection, the information from the source was basically accurate, but the inspection team did not detect any hidden forest products on the bus, so it was determined that there were signs that the bus company had dumped the illegal forest products before passing through Nghe An.

The working group of 4 officers (3 forest rangers, 1 driver) also wrote a report on the incident to the working group of the Sub-Department. Team leader Tran Duc Tuan explained that he was upset with the uncultured attitude and words of the driver and assistant, so he lacked self-control. During the dialogue with the driver, he made statements that were stereotypical and not up to standard, and asked to review and learn from experience.

Disciplinary review

According to Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Tuan, based on the reflection of the mass media and social networks, the leaders of the Department requested to clarify 3 contents: Was the process of stopping vehicles to check the origin of forest products by the Working Group of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 in accordance with legal regulations? Was the process of checking documents, goods, and interacting with suspects of illegally transporting forest products by the Working Group in accordance with legal regulations? Was there or was there not hiring of people to fight, assault, and beat the vehicle driver and the assistant during the handling of the case? Why were there unrelated people participating in the handling process of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2?

Checking the records related to the order and procedures, the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 has a Logbook for tracking reports; Images and information reported by the report reflecting the vehicle with license plate 29H-82432 illegally transporting forest products; Decision No. 25/QD-KL dated October 20, 2022 establishing a Working Group to inspect and trace the origin of forest products; Work dispatch order dated October 20, 2022; Quick report on the incident dated October 21. The delegation concluded that the process of stopping the vehicle according to the citizen's report to check the origin of forest products by the working group of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 complied with the regulations in Circular 27/2018/BNN-PTNT dated November 16, 2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regulating the management of traceability of forest products.

Image of the Head of the working group, Mr. Tran Duc Tuan at the time of making inappropriate statements to the drivers of vehicle number 29H - 82432. Photo cut from clip)

Regarding the individual Head of the Working Group, Tran Duc Tuan, during the performance of his duties, he had a harsh attitude, made arbitrary statements, and made baseless assumptions, causing public outrage. Specifically, his harsh attitude when speaking; used statements that were stereotyped such as "professional smuggling"; "got a driver's license without going to school"... These actions violate the discipline of speaking and professional ethics when performing official duties. The Sub-Department will organize a review and handle disciplinary actions in accordance with legal regulations.

Regarding the brawl, the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 and the working group pledged not to be involved with the subject who caused the brawl and assaulted the driver and assistant. Regarding this content, the Delegation has not yet verified the identity of the subject who participated in the brawl and assaulted the driver and assistant mentioned above, nor has it determined the motive and purpose of participating in the above incident.

Report of Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 on vehicle inspection but did not detect illegal forest products on the vehicle, and concluded that the driver of vehicle with license plate 29H-82432 may have dumped the illegal forest products before passing through Nghe An. The team found that the above assessment was conjecture and unfounded.

From the inspection and verification, the Delegation requested the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2 to meet and review the responsibilities of the collectives and individuals involved in the above-mentioned problems; accept disciplinary measures in accordance with the provisions of law; and at the same time, learn from experience and overcome shortcomings in the process of performing public duties in handling citizens' reports on forest product inspection and control on traffic routes.

Will continue to verify!

According to Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Tuan, through this incident, the Department recognizes the need to rectify the issue of public ethics, instructing officers and employees in the industry to learn from experience. In the process of handling information denouncing illegal transportation of forest products on traffic routes, it is necessary to check and verify the reliability of the report. Mr. Tuan said: "The Department will direct the focus on protecting the forest at the root, only when the verification ensures reliability and accuracy will it allow the inspection and handling of the denunciation to avoid negligence."

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Head of the Forestry Sub-Department talked with Nghe An Newspaper reporter. Photo: PV

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan also said that the thing that the leaders of the Sub-Department are most concerned about in this case is whether or not the working group officers are related to the people who fought with the driver and the bus assistant? Therefore, although the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 and the working group have pledged that they are not involved, the Delegation will continue to verify the identity of the person who participated in the fight; as well as investigate and verify the motive and purpose of this person. "The Sub-Department may coordinate with the relevant authorities to verify and clarify..." - Deputy Head of the Sub-Department Nguyen Anh Tuan shared.