VietNamNet Bridge - On July 15 the Khanh Hoa Province People's Court sentenced Nguyen Viet Truong, 57, former director of Song Ma Co., Ltd., who laid a mine at the home of Khanh Hoa police director, to 23 years in prison on charges of murder and stockpiling, use, and sell illegal selling of explosives.

Nguyen Viet Truong.

According to the indictment, in 2005 Truong established Song Ma company in Phuong Son Ward, Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province with the function of mining rock at the quarry in the village of Suoi Lau 2, Suoi Cat Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province. Truong’s company had conflicts with its partners so Truong sent complaints to the police of Khanh Hoa.

The investigation agency decided not to prosecute the case and guided Truong to lodge the case to the civil court. Disagreeing with this approach, Truong repeatedly demanded to personally see Mr. Tran Ngoc Khanh - Police Director of Khanh Hoa province, but he was directed to go to the police headquarters to meet Khanh as a citizen.

Believing that Khanh neglected his complaint, Truong intended to lay a mine at Khanh’s house. At around 5pm on July 30, 2012, Truong took a home-made mine, which was wrapped in a blue hat, to Khanh’s house on Phan Chu Trinh Road, Van Thanh Ward, Nha Trang city. Truong placed the mine in front of the house then went to the stadium in front of the house to observe.

About an hour later, seeing Khanh left his home on a motorcycle, Truong detonated the mine. The explosion caused critical injuries to the victim.

Investigators determined that from February 2012, Truong repeatedly bought explosives and detonators and gave them to workers to illegal mine rock. Police seized 475 electric detonators and 30.4 kg of explosives and documents related to the case.

The victim, Mr. Khanh did not require the defendant to pay compensation and also asked the court to consider mitigating the punishment if the defendant showed remorse.

PV