VietNamNet Bridge – The Minister of Public Security has directed competent agencies to launch an investigation relating to the news that two journalists received death threats.

A fruits store at Long Bien wholesale market. Two journalists received death threats after exposing an alleged parking racket that may have siphoned off tens of billions dong from vendors at the market. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Van Canh

The move came after a number of publications reported that threatening text messages were sent to Nguyen Thu Trang, a journalist from Phụ Nữ Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh (HCM City Women) newspaper, warning her not to conduct further investigation into an alleged parking racket at Hanoi-based Long Bien wholesale market.

Nguyen Thi Lien, a journalist at Viet Nam Television (VTV) also received similar messages.

Trang said she had reported the incident to the newspaper’s editorial board, which later referred it to the Ministry of Public Security and the Ha Noi Police to investigate and ensure the safety of the reporter and her family.

The two journalists conducted an investigation and made several reports about the parking system at the market.

An exposé by VTV in late September reported an illegal parking fee that hundreds of merchants were forced to pay market porters to be permitted to unload their cargo.

According to the report, each merchant had to pay at least VND200,000 (US$9) per vehicle each day, with the fee as high as VND350,000 for a big truck.

As the biggest wholesale market of agricultural products in Hanoi, Long Bien Market hosts roughly 1,000 merchants, of which at least 300 regularly need parking space to unload cargo. A merchant told VTV she paid VND100 million last year to secure a parking space.

That meant the illegal parking payments could easily amount to at least VND30 billion a year.

The huge sum of money, however, did not go to the Long Bien Market Management Committee, which only collected entrance fees of between VND15,000 and VND60,000.

Early in October, Ha Noi police launched an investigation into suspected asset appropriations that might involve tens of billions dong.

Source: VNS