Hanoi police has initiated legal proceedings against and arrested Ngo Thi To Nhien, director of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition Social Enterprise, for allegedly appropriating internal documents regarding state-owned Electricity of Vietnam, Lieutenant General To An Xo, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security said on September 30.

Speaking at the Government’s regular press conference, Xo said two others, Duong Duc Viet, 44, senior specialist of the investment management committee of the National Power Transmission Corporation under EVN; and Le Quoc Anh, 39, head of the system analysis department of the Power Engineering Consulting 1 company, were also arrested on the same charge.

According to the police’s investigation results, since 2020, Nhien knew Anh and Viet had the right to access information and documents regarding EVN’s policies and planning for the power grid development. She then signed part-time labour and expert contracts with Anh and Viet in exchange for them supplying the information and documents for her.

“These are internal documents, which are not allowed to be shared or publicised,” Xo said, pointing out that Nhien’s act constitutes the appropriation of agencies and organisations’ document under Article 342 of the Penal Code.

Police are conducting further investigation into the case.

Lieutenant General To An Xo added that after Nhien was prosecuted, several foreign media agencies and exiled reactionary organisations falsely accused Vietnam of arresting an environment activist.

The Ministry of Public Security rejected the slanderous allegations and considered it an act of interference in Vietnam’s internal activities, Xo affirmed./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency