Shady businessmen arrested following conspiracy to oust Vietnamese province’s proactive security chief
Thursday, March 11, 2021, 11:34 GMT+7
Police in An Giang Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region have arrested a group of people who they say conspired to topple a local public security chief.
The deal was uncovered following a forgery case involving Tran Tri Manh, the 42-year-old director of Gia Thinh Production and Trading Co. Ltd. in Chau Phu B Ward, Chau Doc City, An Giang.
A raid on Manh’s residence and workplace on March 2 resulted in the discovery of evidence proving Gia Thinh had been producing and trading counterfeit products, including motorcycle parts mimicking Honda and Yamaha brands, as well as lubricants they tried to pass off as Kubota and Castrol.
At the provincial police station, where Manh was temporarily detained for the investigation into his counterfeiting violations, the man disclosed another case of fraud he had been involved in.
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| This photo supplied by the An Giang Department of Public Security shows Tran Tri Manh at the provincial police station. |
According to Manh, a group of local businessmen had considered the director of the An Giang Department of Public Security Dinh Van Noi as a bête noire for beefing up fights against social evils, drugs, crime, and other illegal rackets, including smuggling and counterfeiting.
The group suggested Manh bribe Noi’s superiors into transferring him to another locality so that they could continue conducting their illicit business activities.
Manh then contacted Dao Ngoc Canh, 73, a resident of Xuan Ha Ward in Thanh Khe District, Da Nang, who helped him connect with Ngo Van Trong, 48, from Khue Trung Ward in Cam Le District in the same central city, Vu Van Quy, 30, from Ho Chi Minh City, and Hoang Thi Tam, 54, from Hanoi.
In mid-January, Canh, Trong, Quy, and Tam visited Manh in An Giang and agreed to allocate VND20 billion (US$868,000) toward the so-called ouster of Noi.
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| From left to right, downward: Dao Ngoc Canh, Ngo Van Trong, Vu Van Quy, and Hoang Thi Tam are pictured at the An Giang police station. Photo: An Giang Department of Public Security/Handout via Tuoi Tre |
The group of four demanded Manh transfer half of the VND20-billion amount to Tam’s bank account under a guarantee that a decision of job transfer would be issued for Noi within the next three days.
No progress was made after three days and the trio refunded Manh VND7.4 billion ($321,000), claiming that the other VND2.6-billion ($113,000) had already been spent on lobbying for the transfer.
In truth, Trong took VND400 million ($17,368), Quy pocketed VND2.1 billion ($91,169), and Tam appropriated VND100 million ($4,341) of the VND2.6 billion.
After launching the investigation into Manh’s report, police in An Giang temporarily detained Quy, Trong, Tam, and Canh.
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