Hanoi (VNA) - Two death sentences and one life imprisonment havebeen handed down to those involved in the murder of three policemen in Dong Tamcommune of Hanoi’s My Duc district earlier this year.

The People’s Court of Hanoi on September 14 sentenced Le Dinh Cong and Le DinhChuc to death while Le Dinh Doanh was given life behind bars.

Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Quoc Tien, and Nguyen Van Tuyen received sentences of 16years, 13 years, and 12 years in prison, respectively.

All were charged with “murder” pursuant to Clause 1, Article 123 of the 2015Penal Code.

The remaining 23 defendants were given sentences from 15 months’ probation tosix years in prison for “resisting on-duty officers” pursuant to Clause 2,Article 330 of the 2015 Penal Code. Of whom, 14 received suspended sentencesand were freed after the hearing.

The first instance conclusion shows that this was an extremely serious case,with the defendants’ criminal deeds extremely dangerous for society, runningcounter to the law, disregarding the State’s principles, infringing upon theState and local authorities’ right activities, and displaying contempt for thelives and health of others, especially those on duty.

Their deeds were extremely brutal and inhumane, using petrol to burn the threepolicemen when they fell into a pit between Chuc’s house and his neighbour,with their bodies becoming unidentifiable.

The jury said this was a huge loss for the public security force as well as thefamilies of the three policemen. The case caused outrage among people in Hanoiin particular and in Vietnam at large, requiring strict sentences for thedefendants.

The six defendants accused of “murder” were the masterminds of the crime andthey also led and directly committed criminal acts. They had closely colludedwith others who were key members of a so-called “group of consensus” led by LeDinh Kinh. Kinh was shot dead while holding a grenade and calling on others toresist on-duty officers.

Cong was the leader and often incited others to kill police officers by postingvideo clips and livestreaming on social networks. He also threatened to bombpower stations and kill 300-500 police officers, assigned tasks to otherdefendants, and actively performed these acts.

He also directed and contributed money to buy petrol and grenades, guidedothers how to make petrol bombs and tinder, and directly threw petrol bombs andgrenades toward on-duty officers.

Considering that the consequences of Cong’s actions are particularly serious,the jury said it is necessary to apply the most severe punishment against him,to ensure the strictness of the law, general deterrence, education, andprevention.

On late January 8 and early January 9, when informed of the appearance ofon-duty officers in Hoanh village, Le Dinh Chuc and other defendants broughtweapons to the rooftop of a neighbouring house. They threw four petrol bombsand one grenade at the police, and used hand-made weapons to attack theofficers, causing three of them to fall into a pit near Kinh’s house. Chuc andDoanh repeatedly poured petrol into the pit and set it on fire, killing thethree policemen.

Chuc’s act was the most drastic and the direct cause of the death of theon-duty policemen, with an obvious motive of murder and showing greataggressiveness and a lack of humanity.

During investigations and in court, Chuc admitted his guilt, but did not reallyshow remorse as he still tried to blame Doanh.

Meanwhile, Le Dinh Doanh actively responded to Kinh’s appeal to resist theadministration with the aim of illegally occupying land at Dong Tam commune’sSenh field. Doanh joined many discussions on how to oppose the administrationand kill police officers. He had received 500,000 VND (21.5 USD) from Kinh tobuy knives and hire people to weld the knives to iron tubes, which were used byDoanh and other defendants in the attack on the police on late January 8 andearly January 9. Doanh also set the fire that killed the three officers.

His acts were extremely serious and it is necessary to apply a severe penaltyagainst him. However, as Doanh pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and is Cong’sson, the jury decided to give him a chance to rehabilitate under the State’shumanitarian and lenient policy.

Bui Viet Hieu and Nguyen Van Tuyen, driven by greed for land, incited others tocommit crimes. As the death of the policemen was associated with theirbehaviour, they must be punished strictly, the jury said, adding that therewere also mitigating circumstances, as Hieu committed the crime when he wasover 70 years old and Tuyen is a person with disabilities.

Nguyen Quoc Tien was confirmed to have participated in the case right from thebeginning and actively contributed money to buy petrol and grenades. He madepetrol bombs and purchased 10 grenades with the aim of killing policemen withhis accomplices. Though the grenades he had bought did not explode, he clearlybelieved they were real and would cause death and severe injuries.

He must therefore be strictly punished and be given a penalty commensurate withhis criminal acts. 

According to the procuracy’s indictment, despite being well aware that the landat Senh field was used for defence purposes and was under the management of theDefence Ministry, as confirmed by the Hanoi Inspectorate and the GovernmentInspectorate in 2013, Kinh (born in 1936 and a resident in Hoanh village ) andothers set up the “group of consensus” with the aim of re-occupying anddividing the land lot among themselves.

They frequently incited local people to file complaints about the Dong Tamadministration’s land management and use, used social networks to spread falseinformation that Senh field belongs to Dong Tam commune, and called on localpeople to “struggle to keep the land”.

In late 2019 and early 2020, upon learning that the Hanoi Department of PublicSecurity coordinated with the air defence - air force service of the DefenceMinistry to deploy personnel to protect those building fencing around Mieu Monairfield on Senh field, Kinh and his accomplices bought weapons with the aim ofattacking the force.

In the early hours on January 9, 2020, when police arrived at the gate of Hoanhvillage, about 50 metres from Kinh’s house, the group used hand-made weapons toattack police, causing three police officers to fall into a pit near Kinh’shouse. Le Dinh Chuc and Le Dinh Doanh poured gasoline into the pit and set iton fire, killing the three policemen. At the same time, the authorised forcefound Kinh holding a grenade and calling upon others to resist those on-duty,and took the decision to shoot him dead./.