On the afternoon of 4/9, the Supreme People's Court's appellate court in Ho Chi Minh City reviewed Le Anh Xuan's appeal for a reduced sentence for violating fire safety regulations.

The defendants Pham Quoc Hung and Vu Truong Son (former officers of the Binh Duong Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department), and Nguyen Thanh Luan (Director of Thai Binh Co., Ltd) also appealed for reductions in their 5-7 year prison sentences for the same charges.

In court, Xuan, Hung, Son, and Luan admitted their wrongdoing but argued that the initial sentences were too harsh, requesting the court to consider a reduction.

Pham Thi Hong (a former officer of the Binh Duong Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department) maintained her appeal of innocence. She claimed she did not contract to construct the fire protection system for the An Phu karaoke bar, but only introduced the contractor to the owner.

Although not appealing his 4-year sentence, Nguyen Van Vo (a former officer of the Thuan An City Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Team) was also summoned to court.

Defendant Le Anh Xuan during the first instance trial. Photo: Phuoc Tuan

The prosecutor acknowledged new mitigating circumstances for Xuan, Hung, Son, and Luan: they have compensated the victims' families (Son provided an additional over one billion VND, Luan 365 million VND), and some victims' families have pleaded for leniency. Therefore, the prosecution recommended reduced sentences for these defendants.

The prosecution also recommended a reduced sentence for Nguyen Van Vo, stating the initial sentence was somewhat harsh.

Regarding Hong, the prosecution noted that despite her denial throughout the investigation and trial, the evidence in the case file supports her conviction. Despite her appeal of innocence, Hong proactively supported the victims' families, demonstrating a spirit of remorse. The prosecution also recommended a reduced sentence for her, reflecting the law's leniency.

In court, some victims' families requested increased compensation, but the prosecution stated the initial trial had fully considered these amounts. Furthermore, the families have received more than the initial figures due to the defendants' additional compensation, so there were no grounds to accept the appeal.

After several hours, the court adjourned and will issue its verdict on 8/9.

Defendant Pham Thi Hong presenting at the first instance trial in 10/2014. Photo: Phuoc Tuan

The initial judgment determined Xuan, as the owner, failed to conduct regular inspections and did not detect the inoperative automatic fire protection system; the establishment also lacked on-site fire personnel. Defendants Son, Hung, and Vo, as officials responsible for reviewing, accepting, and inspecting, were negligent in their duties, allowing the karaoke bar to operate without meeting safety requirements, leading to the fire on the evening of 6/9/2022, causing particularly serious consequences.

The fire originated from a short circuit in the electrical wiring installed in the ceiling of the second floor of the An Phu karaoke bar. The fire spread to surrounding materials and quickly engulfed the entire building. At the time, there were about 60 people inside, including customers and staff. When the fire intensified, some escaped to the roof while others awaited rescue.

After nearly a day, firefighters controlled the blaze, but 32 people perished. The survivors managed to escape or were rescued, including 17 injured individuals. The investigation concluded the fire was due to unsafe electrical and fire protection systems.

Hai Duyen