VietNamNet Bridge – Nguoi Cao Tuoi Newspaper (The Elderly) has allegedly published articles that "revealed state secrets" and have "signs of abusing democratic freedoms", and its Editor-in-Chief Kim Quoc Hoa, 70, may be dismissed.

Mr. Kim Quoc Hoa.

According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan, an unscheduled inspection was conducted at Nguoi Cao Tuoi Newspaper between November 7, 2014 and January 7, 2015. The inspectors detected many violations.

Specifically, the newspaper published articles with the signs of "revealing state secrets" and "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state, the rights and legitimate interests of organizations and citizens".

The newspaper was also accused of violating regulations on the operation of online newspapers as it illegally posted some articles on its website.

According to the inspection report, the newspaper published “groundless complaints, denunciations and comments leading to false information".

The newspaper was also accused of providing “wrong, slandered, distorted information, hurting the prestige of agencies, organizations and the honor and dignity of individuals".

In addition, the newspaper committed other violations.

The Ministry has decided to withdraw the licence for its website and ask the newspaper to make a correction and offer apology for its false information. The newspaper will be fined for 20 acts of violation.

Police on February 9 announced they would start an investigation into Nguoi Cao Tuoi newspaper after the Information of Communications Ministry announced it had violated the Press Law and other legal regulations.

On the day, the Ministry of Public Security’s investigative unit prosecuted the case on the grounds that the newspaper infringed on the country’s benefit and the legal rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals as stated in article 258 of the Penal Code.

Editor-in-chief Kim Quoc Hoa’s press card has been revoked. The Ministry of Information and Communications has proposed that the Elderly Association, the management agency of the newspaper, dismiss Hoa.

The Ministry said the case was transferred to the police for investigation of the act of publishing 11 articles with signs of crime.

Hoa was born in 1945 in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi. He was formerly a reporter for the Chien Si Hau Caun (Logistics Soldier) Newspaper in 1971.

In 1990, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Thu Do (Hanoi Youth) and then Chief Editor of Lao Dong Xa Hoi (Labor-Society) and Xay Dung (Construction). In 2007, he was appointed Chief Editor of Nguoi Cao Tuoi Newspaper.

Tran Cham