The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on June 20 held a workshop seeking ways to deal with difficulties in implementing prosecution and procuracy over investigations and first-instance trial of criminal cases related to foreigners in the city.
According to Department No.2 of the municipal People’s Procuracy, from 2014 to 2016, the agency exercised its prosecution and investigation procuracy on 108 cases involving in 146 people from 25 nations and territories who violated 18 different law articles.
Of the total, the municipal People’s Court sentenced seven defendants to death, and four to life imprisonment, while eight others were given at least 15 years in prison.
In these cases, the agency faced numerous difficulties in language, and specification of criminal record of the arrestees and defendants.
At the workshop, participants agreed that it is necessary to intensify international cooperation in tackling cases which involve foreigners.
Vu Xuan Nhue, deputy head of Department No.2, stressed the need to boost the signing of judicial assistance agreements with other countries and foster collaboration with foreign litigation agencies in providing information and documents to strictly punish ringleaders.
Sharing the same view, Vu Thanh Lam, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court of the municipal People’s Court, said that it is essential to strengthen connection with international organizations such as the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) to receive their support right from the investigation process.
He also proposed early launching general solutions to cases in which criminal records of arrestees and defendants cannot be specified.- (VNA/VLLF)
