VIETNAM: DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR GANGSTER-BUSINESSMAN

July 27, 2012: An appeals court in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam upheld the death sentence awarded to a gangster and company director who ordered his people to kill two rivals in a business conflict.
Nguyen Tien Phuong, 55, was the director of Quang Phat Company, notorious for dominating the border gate food export market to China from 2000 onwards by intimidating competitors.
Phuong had on hand a gang of around 70 people willing to follow his orders.
The court of first instance had in August 2010 sentenced Phuong's brother, Nguyen Tien Chung, 49, to death and his employee Bui Hai Bai, 48, to life for their involvement in the murder. They filed an appeal, asking for lighter sentences.
While upholding the death sentence for Phuong, the appeals court reduced Chung's sentence to life imprisonment, and Bai's to 20 years in jail. (Sources: thanhniennews.com, 27/07/2012)