Defendants appear in court on September 13 for sentencing in connection with the lorry tragedy that left 39 Vietnamese citizens dead. (Photo: congan.com.vn) Ha Tinh (VNA) - Four defendants have been imposed jail sentences inconnection with the Essex lorry tragedy in the UK last year in which 39Vietnamese citizens died.
Three otherswere also given suspended sentences at a trial opened by the People’s Court ofcentral Ha Tinh province on September 14.
They wereprosecuted in connection with the death of Pham Thi Tra My, 26, who sent anumber of harrowing text messages to her family when she was trapped in therefrigeration unit of the lorry as it entered the UK in October 2019.
Nguyen QuocThanh, 26, from Can Tho city was sentenced seven and half years in jail, fined 20million VND and had 3,000 USD revoked; Nguyen Thị Thuy Hoa, 36, from Nghe Anprovince sentenced to six years in jail and fined 15 million VND; Tran DinhTruong, 35, from Ha Tinh province, sentenced five years in jail and fined 10 millionVND and Nguyen Xuan Trieu, 24, sentenced to two and a half in jail plus fine of10 million VND.
Le Van Hue,53 years old, Vo Van Ky, 58 years old and Vo Van Ho, 68 years old, all fromNghe An province, were given between 12 and 18 month suspended sentences andfined 5 million VND each.
The trialwas first opened in August, but was adjourned due to the absence of themajority of witnesses.
At the trial,the seven accused were found guilty of "organising and brokering illegalemigration".
The defendantVo Van Ky was absent from the court as he is being treated for cancer.
The courtwas told the defendant Truong asked Hoa to arrange to send Pham Thi Tra My,from Ha Tinh province’s Can Loc district, to France in order to enter the UK.
The price tosmuggle her to England was 21,000 USD and Hoa sent My to China on atourism visa and then using false documents she flew to France.
Hoa, Thanhand Thanh’s sister - Nguyen Thi Thuy Diem, 31 years old, from Can Tho citytogether made the fake documents which facilitated My’s trip.
On October19, 2019, on the way from France to UK, My was found by UK police and expelledfrom UK, returning to France.
But justfour days later she made the journey again, this time hidden in therefrigerated container with 38 other Vietnamese nationals.
When theyarrived in Essex, their lifeless bodies were discovered in the back of thelorry.
The judgessaid the defendants had engaged in dangerous violations of immigration andlabour export laws, but recognised the fact that they had cooperated with theinvestigators and been willing to address the consequences.
Seven peopleinvolved in trafficking My and tens of others to the UK were arrested by HaTinh police in February.
Thedefendant Nguyen Thi Thuy Diem, was identified as the ring leader but he hassince fled away and is wanted internationally.
Between Mayand October 2019, Diem allegedly instructed Thanh to work with Hoa, Ky, Ho andHue to prepare documents for many people who wanted to go to Europe to work.
Of the 39victims in the truck tragedy, 21 were from Nghe An province and 10 from Ha Tinhand the rest from the provinces of Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Hai Duongand Hai Phong city.
In June, acourt in Nghe An province sentenced a local woman to 15 months injail for helping a friend enter the UK. The friend was among the 39 trucktragedy victims.
Meanwhile,in the UK, 40-year-old Irishman RonanHughes pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges last month and NorthernIrishman truck driver Maurice Robinson pleaded guilty in April for causing thedeaths of 39 Vietnamese people./.
VNA
