Businessman Au Ngoc Vung accused of property destruction: Court returns file

On April 12, the People's Court of Ca Mau City (Ca Mau) held the first instance trial of the case of businesswoman Au Ngoc Vung (56 years old, residing in Bac Lieu province) accused of destroying other people's property and announced to return the case file for further investigation. Au Ngoc Vung is known as a famous seafood "tycoon" in the two provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu.

The panel of judges considered that the case lacked evidence to prove one of the issues stipulated in Article 85 of the Criminal Procedure Code that could not be supplemented at the trial, so they decided to return the case file to the People's Procuracy of Ca Mau City for further investigation to clarify who participated in the destruction of property; the basis for determining the value of damaged property and whether or not there were accomplices in the case.

According to the indictment, on April 18, 2021, Au Ngoc Vung hired someone to go to the disputed land with Mr. HQC (residing in Ward 6, Ca Mau City) to saw down 3 coconut trees, 2 star apple trees, break 2 concrete pillars, 1 wall and a walkway of a resident. After that, Mr. C. reported. The police agency started an investigation, Au Ngoc Vung was prosecuted for the act of destroying property worth more than 23 million VND.

At the trial, Au Ngoc Vung denied the indictment, saying that he only hired someone to cut down 2 coconut trees, cut down 1 star tree and dig up a section of the road with boulders. At the same time, he denied the indictment accusing him of digging up a section of the road with sidewalk tiles, breaking 2 concrete pillars, and breaking the wall. This star tree has an appraised value of 70,000 VND.

There were 3 witnesses and related people in court, but no one admitted or saw the destruction of the brick walkway, the breaking of 2 concrete pillars, and a wall. Mr. C. also confirmed that the destroyed properties were not included in his land use right certificate, but were the land he was managing and using, and all the destroyed properties belonged to him.

The representative of the People's Procuracy of Ca Mau City requested the panel of judges to sentence the defendant Au Ngoc Vung to 1-2 years of non-custodial reform for property destruction and to compensate the victim's family 23 million VND. However, the panel of judges decided to return the file for further investigation.

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