Dong Tam case: Charges against 19 defendants changed

Hanoi (VNA) - The Hanoi People’s Procuracy has decided to change the charges against 19 defendants in the murder of three policemen in Dong Tam commune in the capital city’s My Duc district.

The defendants - Le Dinh Uy, Le Dinh Quang, Nguyen Van Quan, Bui Van Tien, Bui Van Tuan, Trinh Van Hai, Le Dinh Quan, Bui Van Nien, Bui Thi Noi, Tran Thi La, Nguyen Van Due, Nguyen Thi Bet, Nguyen Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Thi Lua, Bui Thi Duc, Mai Thi Phan, Dao Thi Kim, Le Thi Loan, and Nguyen Van Trung - were among 29 defendants in the trial held by the municipal People’s Court and are now charged with “resisting on-duty officers” pursuant to Article 330 of the 2015 Penal Code instead of the charge of “murder” under Article 123.

The charge of “murder” have been retained against six defendants - Le Dinh Cong, Le Dinh Chuc, Le Dinh Doanh, Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Quoc Tien, and Nguyen Van Tuyen, as the indictment.

The representative of the People’s Procuracy asked the trial panel to sentence Le Dinh Cong and Le Dinh Chuc to death, Le Dinh Doanh to life imprisonment, Bui Viet Hieu and Nguyen Quoc Tien to 16-18 years in prison, and Nguyen Van Tuyen to 14-16 years behind bars.

For those charged with “resisting on-duty officers”, the representative of the People’s Procuracy proposed the trial panel sentence Le Dinh Uy, Le Dinh Quang, and Nguyen Van Quan to 6-7 years in prison, Bui Van Tien to 5-6 years, Le Dinh Quan, Trinh Van Hai, and Bui Thi Noi to 4-5 years, Bui Thi Duc, Bui Van Tuan, Tran Thi La, Nguyen Thi Bet, Nguyen Van Due, and Nguyen Xuan Dieu to 3-4 years, Nguyen Thi Lua to two and a half years to three years, and Mai Thi Phan and Bui Van Nien to between two years and two and a half years.

Meanwhile, it was proposed that Le Thi Loan receive a suspended sentence of between two and a half years and three years; Dao Thi Kim a suspended sentence of two to two and a half years; Nguyen Van Trung a suspended sentence from one and a half years to two years; and Le Dinh Hien, Bui Viet Tien, Nguyen Thi Dung, and Tran Thi Phuong suspended sentences of 15-18 months.

In the impeachment statement, the representative of the People’s Procuracy said that the group of 19 defendants prepared weapons and acted under the direction of Le Dinh Kinh and Le Dinh Cong. The acts of all the defendants assisted others to commit murder, as per the indictment from the Hanoi People’s Procuracy.

Through public questioning at the trial, the People’s Procuracy found that, having been manipulated and provoked, each defendant participated in committing crimes at every stage and at a certain level. Some contributed money to buying petrol, flares, and grenades, while some made petrol bombs and prepared bricks and stones to throw, and others were involved in transporting and preparing the tools and means for Le Dinh Cong’s group to commit murder.

The defendants had a limited awareness of laws and blindly trusted and followed Le Dinh Kinh. They are aware of their wrongdoings, made sincere testimony, and expressed remorse.

They committed an intentional crime but did not directly commit acts that resulted in the death of the three policemen.

The Hanoi People’s Procuracy therefore applied the State’s humane policy to impose lesser charges and apply a penalty below the lowest in the sentencing framework to a number of defendants.

The Hanoi People’s Procuracy requested the trial panel consider applying lighter punishments on the 19 defendants pursuant to Article 319 of the 2015 Penal Code./.