VietNamNet Bridge – One day before his appeal trial was scheduled to open on Tuesday, Nov 22, former deputy chief managing editor of the Tien Phong newspaper Phan Ha Binh withdrew his appeal against the 7-year verdict handed down on him.

The Appeal Court of the Supreme People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday canceled the trial for the journalist as a result of the withdrawal.

In his appeal for a commutation, Binh, 41, petitioned the court to consider the facts that he had repented for his offenses, he was suffering a serious disease, and he was the main provider for his family.

At the first instance trial on August 25, the HCMC People’s Court sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment for using reports to blackmail local enterprises.

Binh denied the service of a defense attorney and pleaded guilty to all charges at the trial.
Besides admitting that his wrong-doings violated the principles and ethics of journalism, he also offered profound apologies to his victims and colleagues in the Tien Phong newspaper.

The court’s indictments said Binh, whose pen name was Ha Phan, had been collecting information about a failing project of the Saigon-Tan Ky Cement Joint Stock Company of the Tan Ky Group to blackmail the company.

After garnering enough information about the company, Binh contacted Nguyen Cam Phuong, the group’s communications director and chief representative of the company in HCMC, suggesting that she give him some hush money or he would write an article to damage the company’s name.

Phuong rejected his request and Binh later wrote 3 articles to expose the shortcomings of some member companies in the group in developing their projects.

After the articles were published in September and October 2010, Binh contacted Phuong again and asked her to give him VND200 million (US$9,500) or he would produce some more articles.

He also offered to write an article to help the group regain its image and reputation for US$3,000.

Phuong reported the blackmail to the group and police and later called Binh to say inform him that the group agreed to his suggestion.

On October 13, 2010, when Binh was receiving VND220 million from Phuong at the Nhat Ha Restaurant in District 3, HCMC, the police rushed in to arrest him.

Another business, Luong Tai Construction & Investment Corporation, also accused him of blackmailing the company to “pocket” US$1,000.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre