Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on Wednesday (Nov 30) passed judgment on three guards of the Minh Duc Restaurant in
Present at the court trial was Ms. Petra, on behalf of the Dutch Consulate-General in
23-year-old Bui Dinh Hoang, living in Tan Binh District of HCMC, 20-year-old Duong Trong Nghia, living in District 1 of HCMC and 32-year-old Nguyen Minh Duong from Long An Province were sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for “assault on purpose”, by the court on November 30.
Ngai’s lawyer argued that the guards were neither trained personnel nor did they have a legal labor contract with Thanh Cong Motor Security Services Company, yet Thanh Cong had allowed them to work in the Minh Duc Restaurant.
The court also ordered their employer to pay nearly VND52million (US$2,500) in compensation to 61-year-old Ngai. Later Ngai told a SGGP reporter that he would donate the money to a charitable cause.
The three defendants were employees of Thanh Cong Motor Security Services Company that had been contracted by the Minh Duc Restaurant to ensure security for customers’ motorbikes and vehicles.
As per the trial indictment, on the evening of July 30, 2010, after dining at Minh Duc restaurant on Ton That Tung Street in District 1, Ngai handed his parking ticket to Hoang whom he thought would take his motorbike out from the parking lot for him. When Hoang refused, saying he was too busy, an argument broke out between Hoang and Ngai.
Ngai then went into the parking lot to retrieve his motorcycle. When he came out and was about to drive away, the three guards pounced on him and beat him with an electric baton.
Ngai tried to run away but Hoang called other guards from the company, who drove down in a car and continued to beat him.
Local residents called the police who arrived at the scene and arrested the three guards.
