Former journalist Phan Ha Binh, who was sentenced to jail for seven years for blackmailing companies, withdrew his appeal prior to the court hearing.  

Former journalist Phan Ha Binh at court

As scheduled, the People’s Supreme Court in Ho Chi Minh City was due to open an appeal court hearing on November 22 in accordance with a petition by Binh, 42, former Deputy Managing Editor of Tien Phong Newspaper. However, the hearing was cancelled following Binh’s withdrawal of the petition.

Earlier on August 25, 2011, the court sentenced Binh to a seven-year jail term for blackmailing local companies.

After receiving the verdict, Binh pleaded for the court to reduce the penalty.

He explained that he had confessed to his misconduct, repented, was in bad health, and was his family’s main breadwinner.

According the first court’s verdict, in September 2010, Binh together with a colleague wrote a scathing piece about the Saigon Invest Group (SGI) and its affiliates.

While collecting evidence for his articles and following their publishing, Binh demanded payment on several occasions from the company or he would continue to write articles damaging to the company’s reputation.

On October 13, 2010, Binh was caught red-handed and arrested while receiving VND220 million (USD10,470) from the Saigon-Tan Ky Cement Joint Stock Company at the Nhat Ha Restaurant in HCM City’s District No. 3.

Immediately after the arrest, Bui Dinh Hung, Chairman of Luong Tai Construction and Investment Corporation, also came forward as a witness Binh of similar activities.

Binh was sentenced to seven years in jail for blackmailing companies