Nguyen Thanh Chan, who was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years, after being released and vindicated, has named investigators who used coercive methods to get him to plead guilty.
Mr. Chan and his wife
On November 25, he worked with two officials from the People’s Supreme Procuracy, and said that a number of investigators from Bac Giang Province's Police Department tortured him to force him in order to attain a guilty plea killing a woman in 2003.
Chan gave not only the name of the investigators, but also asked the People’s Supreme Court to prosecute them, including those from the Bac Giang Province's People’s Court and the People’s Procuracy.
He added that Dang The Vinh, of the provincial People’s Procuracy, forced him to sign the plea before the first trial was held.
The list given by Chan includes Thai Xuan Dung, former Deputy Head of Bac Giang Province’s inspection police board, who is now Chief Inspector of the local Police Department.
Le Van Dung, who directly instructed the investigation in 2003, who is now Head of Drug Crime Investigation Police Board, was also named in the list.
Among others on the list were Phan Van Minh, current Director of Bac Giang Province's Police Department, and Deputy Head of the provincial People’s Procuracy Nguyen Tien Luu, along with several local police officers and a number of staff members from the local People’s Court, People’s Procuracy and Police Department.
According to the People’s Supreme Procuracy, on August 15, 2003 a woman named Nguyen Thi Hoan, from Me Village, was killed at her home and found with injuries to her face and head. Based on the results of the investigation, Chan was suspected because his "left foot nearly fit the footprints left at the scene". Apparently, he also “showed dubious signs on the day of the incident”. Bac Giang Province’s police prosecuted the case and arrested Chan for murder on September 29.
On March 26, 2004, Chan was sentenced to life in prison at a trial held by the Bac Giang Province People’s Court. After conviction, Chan maintained his innocence and made several appeals. One of his appeals was granted, which was held in July of 2004, but the People’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
At first the man was sentenced to death, but this was reduced to life in prison because of his father's contributions in the revolution.
Aside for his several attempts prove his own innocence, his wife also worked to prove that Chan did not commit the crime, even accusing another man Ly Nguyen Chung, who lived in the same village.
Still, the People’s Supreme Procuracy, along with other management agencies tried to extract a confession from Chung. After some time, on October 25, he admitted to the murder. He said his motive was robbery.