A ward leader from the south-central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa on Monday apologized to a man who had been fined for visiting a local bank to perform transactions, which functional forces had considered as an unnecessary outdoor trip.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tuyet, chairwoman of Van Thang Ward in Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang City, chaired a working session with Nguyen Viet Dung, a resident of Vinh Thanh Commune, on the same day.

At the meeting, Tuyet and Ngo Tri Dung, deputy chairman of Van Thang Ward, both issued a public apology to Viet Dung for the previous decision to fine him VND2 million (US$88) for going outdoors without appropriate purposes.

An officer of Van Thang Ward stopped Viet Dung, whose job is a deputy director at a local company, on his way home after he had traveled to a bank office in the same ward to perform transactions on behalf of his company on September 29.

Although he presented relevant papers to prove the purpose of his trip was in line with the COVID-19 pandemic prevention regulations in Nha Trang City at that time, the officer booked the man for an administrative sanction and confiscated his motorcycle registration certificate along with his driver's license.

Tri Dung was the one who signed and issued the sanction decision to Viet Dung, requiring him to pay the VND2 million fine, which he later appealed.

At Monday’s meeting, Tuyet handed over another decision, in which the chairwoman rescinded Tri Dung’s fining order, to Viet Dung, citing “inadequate administrative procedures” as the reason.

Tuyet also returned Viet Dung’s motorcycle registration certificate and driver's license.

Viet Dung withdrew his appeal shortly after as he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that deputy chairman Tri Dung had confessed to not reviewing the report on the case thoroughly before signing the punitive decision.

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