Huynh Van Nen who was wrongly imprisoned for nearly 18 years may file a case against Binh Thuan Province People's Court after negotiations on compensation failed.
Huynh Van Nen
In April, Nen demanded VND18 billion (USD818,100) in compensation. The court, however, only agree to pay VND10.5bn. They had agreed on various terms including compensation for mental damage, loss of income and health problems. However, they couldn't reach agreement on VND5.6bn compensation for family members and acquaintances who helped finding justice for Nen.
Huynh Van Truyen, Nen's father, is said to had sold three plots of land, Huynh Trung Nghia, Nen's brother-in-law sold 10 hectares of land while Nguyen Than, Nen's acquaintance, sold 18 hectares.
Nen and his lawyer met with the representative of the court for the final round on August 31. Judge Tran Thi Thien Huong said they had given Nen a lot of time to find evidence to prove that the demand was right but the family couldn't provide enough evidence. According to the court, they had run out time. If they couldn't reach agreement, Nen could start a civil lawsuit, she said.
"The court only agrees to pay VND1.5bn (USD68,100) in compensation. Nguyen Than will be compensated VND700m, Huynh Van Truyen will be paid VND500m and Huynh Trung Nghia will be paid VND300m," she said.
Lawyer Pham Cong Ut from HCM City Bar Association, said, "Nguyen Thanh Chan, who was also wrongly sentenced, was compensated over VND1bn for the court fees and expenses. Nen's case lasted longer than Chan's so VND5.6bn is reasonable. It's the court's job to collect evidence. The family had spent a really long time to prove that Nen was innocent."
According to Ut, the family had agreed to sue the court but no one wanted this to happen. Nen's family is contacting lawyers and it is expected that about 100 lawyers may agree to help Nen for free.
Huynh Van Nen, 53, was wrongfully arrested on May 17, 1998 for the killing Le Thi Bong. During the investigation, Nen was also wrongfully charged with the murder of Duong Thi My which took place in March 1993. He was then incorrectly sentenced to a life sentence by the provincial people's court for killing Bong and six years of imprisonment for killing My.
Nine of his relatives were also imprisoned for the murder of My. In 2000, they were released as it was proved that Nen was not My's killer, however, he was still believed to be Bong's murderer.
In 2014, the Supreme People's Procuracy were informed that Nguyen Tho could be the real killer. Many lawyers offered to help Nen finally be released. Nen was finally released on October 22, 2014, following a decision by the local People's Procuracy.
The Binh Thuan Province's Police Department, the People's Court and the local People's Procuracy have all publicly apologised to Huynh Van Nen for his 18 years of wrongful imprisonment on December 3, 2015.
