At the court

The defendants, namely Dang Ngoc Tan and Pham Thanh, both residing in Phan Ri Cua town, Tuy Phong district, were convicted of “destroying assets” in accordance with Clause 4, Article 178 of the 2015 Penal Code.

19-year-old Tan was sentenced to 17 years in prison while 32-year-old Thanh will serve 11 years behind bars.

According to the indictment of the provincial People’s Procuracy, at about 9:30pm on June 11, 2018, a large group gathered on National Highway 1A in Binh Long village, Phan Ri Thanh commune, Bac Binh district, causing disturbances.

Local mobile police and authorities used loudspeakers to ask the group to disperse to prevent traffic jams and not to take actions that threaten social security and order.

However, Tan, Thanh, and other participants attacked police with sticks, bricks, stones, and homemade petrol bombs. They went on to burn a total of 12 police cars at the headquarters of the Binh Thuan Police’s Fire Fighting and Prevention Office.

Tan and Thanh, together, burned four fire trucks, causing losses worth over 2 billion VND (86,000 USD). Tan alone burned two other trucks, resulting in damage of more than 2.5 billion VND (107,500 USD).

The court found that the actions of the defendants were extremely serious, causing state property losses and affecting local security and order.

Local police are further investigating the case to bring to light others involved. –VNA