The People’s Court of Hanoi on July 30 opened a first instance trial on three men on the charge of “deliberately disclosing state secrets” under Article 337 of the 2015 Penal Code.
Police car transports three defendants to the court
The defendants are Phan Van Anh Vu, also known as Vu “nhom”, a 43-year-old resident in Hai Chau district, central Da Nang city; Phan Huu Tuan, born in 1955, former Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Public Security, residing in Tay Ho district, Hanoi); and Nguyen Huu Bach (born in 1963, a former officer of the Ministry of Public Security, residing in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi).
This is a close trial, with the verdict to be announced publicly.
Phan Van Anh Vu was prosecuted on the charge of “deliberately disclosing state secrets” in December 2017. He fled to Singapore, where he was deported for violating the Immigration Act of Singapore.
The Ministry of Public Security’s Security Investigation Agency received and arrested fugitive Phan Van Anh Vu on January 4 after he was deported from Singapore.
Vu was also prosecuted on several other charges.
Meanwhile, criminal proceedings against Phan Huu Tuan and Nguyen Huu Bach on the charge of “deliberately disclosing state secrets” were started on April 17 this year.
Earlier the same day, President Tran Dai Quang signed a decision to strip Phan Huu Tuan of the title “People’s Public Security officer”. Minister of Public Security To Lam also signed a decision to strip Nguyen Huu Bach of the title “People’s Public Security officer”.-VNA