VietNamNet Bridge – After nearly nine years claiming his innocence, a 53-year-old man in HCM City has reached an agreement with the municipal People’s Procuracy on nearly VND300 million ($14,000) in compensation for spending almost four years in prison.

Nhan (right) and his lawyer.

Under the agreement, signed on Monday morning between the HCM City People’s Procuracy and Mr. Truong Ba Nhan, a resident in Binh Thanh District, received VND211 million ($10,000) for 1,346 days in jail and VND14 million ($700) for his 272 days on bail.

The HCM City People’s Procuracy will also have to publicly offer an apology to Nhan at Nhan’s residence and post an apology for three consecutive issues in a local newspaper.

On December 12, 2001, a woman named Hoang Thi Kim Ai was murdered at her home in Tan Binh District. Family members reported that Ai’s money and gold was stolen.

Based on this evidence, Nhan was arrested and prosecuted for murder and robbery on January 3, 2012.

During the investigation and prosecution period, Nhan maintained that he was innocent. At the same time, some witnesses were able to provide an alibi for Nhan.

However, the HCM City People's Procuracy approved the decision to prosecute Nhan, with the proposed death sentence as the highest punishment.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court then discovered unclear details about the case and insufficient grounds to conclude that Nhan committed acts of murder and robbery. The agency returned the case file to the investigating body.

On June 8, 2006, the investigating agency of the HCM City Police suspended the investigation for lack of evidence. Nhan was released after more than three years and six months in jail.

Explaining his fingerprints that the police found, Nhan said he is a relative of Ai. Several days before Ai was murdered, he visited Ai’s home and was asked to help move the wardrobe where his fingerprints were found.

After being released in September 2006 Nhan asked the HCM City People’s Procuracy to offer an apology and pay compensation of VND947 million (over $60,000) for moral and health damages.

Nearly eight years later, the procuracy body agreed to apologize and pay compensation of nearly VND300 million for moral damage only. Nhan was asked to submit proof of damage to his health and other damages within seven days, starting from January 19.

Nhan did not require compensation for health damages and some other items. For the loss of income, he said he could not submit proof because he had lost it over a long period of time. Thus, he claimed compensation at the minimum level stipulated by the law – VND1.15 million/month.

The case, commonly known as “the unjust fingerprint”, is now closed.

M. Phuong