A judge at a district-level court in Vietnam has been relieved of his post after asking for ‘coffee money’ from a litigant.

Tran Thanh Toan, judge of the People’s Court in Tran Van Thoi District, Ca Mau Province, has been dismissed, the court confirmed on Monday.

The decision came after members of the Ca Mau court’s disciplinary board reviewed the case and cast their votes during a closed-door ballot.

Toan was also ordered to apologize to the litigant for his actions and returned the money he had taken.

According to previous reports, during 2016, Toan received a request from Nguyen Van Duc, a resident of Tran Van Thoi District, who was asking to be allowed to divorce his wife.

Duc was then taking care of his two children after his wife had left him some years earlier.

In order to expedite the case, the judge had repeatedly asked Duc to offer him some ‘under the table’ money.

By July 14, 2017, Duc’s request had been approved finally.

However, the man passed away from liver disease the following day.

Duc’s family then asked Toan to verify that the two children were orphans and therefore able to receive official support from local authorities.

The judge continued to ask for money to get the work done.

Frustrated, Nguyen Thi Dung, Duc’s younger sister, reported the case to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Dung revealed one of the text messages from Toan as evidence.

“My child is sick and will be brought to Ho Chi Minh City. Consider this helping each other, I'm in diffculty. Send me VND2 million [US$88],” the judge said in the message.

Representatives from the People’s Court in Tran Van Thoi District later worked with Dung to gather all the necessary information for their investigation.

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