A farmer classifies dried garlic on Ly Son Island. The HCMC Department of Information and Communications has imposed a fine of VND12.5 million on Luong Hoang Anh for her inaccurate Facebook post over Ly Son Island's garlic - PHOTO: VNA

Nguyen Duc Tho, chief inspector of the municipal department, on February 24 made this decision after working with the Facebook user and her lawyer, VnExpress news site reported.

Anh, whose Facebook account is followed by many Facebook users, has repeatedly posted numerous controversial news articles, especially those related to celebrities.

Earlier, Anh had posted on her Facebook: “This year, all farmers on Ly Son’s Little Island harvested 49 kilograms of single-clove garlic (or co don garlic). I no longer use garlic from Big Island as the entire island is contaminated with pesticides, and the water from wells used to water garlic plants also contains pesticides. As such, the volume of clean garlic is small…”

After that, Anh’s Facebook account posted an advertisement to sell garlic.

The leader of Ly Son District remarked that the information was baseless and false. Therefore, the Quang Ngai Department of Information and Communications invited Anh to work with them but was unable to contact her as her Facebook account was locked.

Quang Ngai Province on February 6 wrote to the Department of Cyber Security and High-tech Crime Prevention, under the Ministry of Public Security, asking the department to help search for the Facebook user, who lives in HCMC.

Anh’s action violated Article 5 of the Government’s Decree 72/2013 on the management, provision and use of internet services and online information, Tho reported, adding that her inaccurate post had negatively affected Quang Ngai Province’s Ly Son District’s agricultural development activities. SGT

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