VKSND of Kien Giang Province has appealed the first-instance criminal verdict of January 31, 2024, of the People’s Court of Kien Giang Province, requesting the High-Level People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City to increase the penalties for defendants Doan Thien Long, Pham Anh Hieu, and 12 other defendants. This group of defendants was identified as the mastermind of the case, so the penalties should be increased.
It is known that some defendants also appealed the first-instance verdict, including defendants Nguyen Van Thai, Pham Anh Hieu, and 17 other defendants who requested a reduction in penalties; and 2 defendants who appealed for a suspended sentence.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Kien Giang Province has appealed to the High-Level People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City to increase the penalties for many defendants.
As Tien Phong reported, on January 31, 2024, the People’s Court of Kien Giang Province sentenced 70 defendants in the case of a land dispute in Phu Quoc, resulting in 2 deaths and 6 injuries.
The trial panel sentenced defendant Doan Thien Long (23 years old, residing in Duong Dong Ward, Phu Quoc Town) to “life imprisonment” for the crimes of murder and illegal possession, transportation, and use of military weapons. Previously, in the indictment, the Prosecutor’s Office of Kien Giang Province requested the death penalty for defendant Doan Thien Long.
Along with the life imprisonment, defendants Nguyen Van Thai (36 years old, also known as Thai Bus, residing in Phu Quoc Town) and Bui Duc Ngoc (32 years old, residing in Hai Phong City) were also sentenced to the crime of murder (defendant Ngoc also committed the additional crime of illegal use of military weapons).
Defendant Doan Thien Long.
Defendant Pham Anh Hieu (34 years old, residing in Phu Quoc City) was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime of murder (lower than the proposed sentence of life imprisonment by the Prosecutor’s Office); defendant Bui Minh Trung (48 years old, also known as Trung Ca Mau) was sentenced to 14 years in prison (lower than the proposed sentence of 18-20 years in prison by the Prosecutor’s Office).
For the remaining 65 defendants, the trial panel sentenced them to imprisonment from 6 months (with suspended sentences) to 20 years for crimes including murder, disturbing public order, concealing crimes; illegal possession, transportation, buying, and using of military weapons.
After making a deal for “4 billion VND in land”, on October 27, 2022, Thai and more than 50 gangsters came to the disputed land in multiple cars, carrying knives, hammers, and 3 guns. A clash occurred at that time. Doan Thien Long, who was with Thai’s group, fired multiple shots from a gun, resulting in 2 deaths and 6 injuries in the opposing group.
