PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has had to intervene to ask HCM City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong to stop the prosecution of a local cafe owner.

Mai Tien Dung, Chairman of the Government Office told Dan Tri that the PM had made a phone call to the chairman of HCM City on April 20 evening to ask for an immediate stop to the criminal charges against Nguyen Van Tan, owner of a coffee shop in Binh Chanh District.

The coffee owner was prosecuted on January 25 by district’s procurator for illegally conducting business.

 The cafe shop owner, Nguyen Van Tan showed the documents that the police and procuracy in Binh Chanh District sent to him

Just a month into its opening, the shop, selling breakfast, lunch and coffee, was inspected by officers from the police station twice.

On August 13, officers from the Binh Chanh police station inspected the cafe and charged Tan for lacking the necessary business licence and food safety certification.

Tan showed police his papers proving that his licence was slated to be issued on August 19, but the officers were not satisfied.

The owner was eventually fined VND17 million (US$759) for these violations.

On August 19, Tan obtained his business licence but his food safety certification was scheduled to be issued on September 29.

Because of the delay, Tan temporarily stopped selling food at his café, offering only coffee and bottled drinks, while awaiting the food safety certificate.

 Tan is now only selling drinks at his shop

However on September 10, police visited the café again, this time charging him with violating food safety and hygiene regulations.

Despite the owner's claiming that he has stopped selling foods to await certification the police decided to go ahead with the charges.

On September 25, the chief officer of the investigative unit under Binh Chanh police decided to investigate the case, and upheld the decision via the Binh Chanh People’s Procuracy the following day.

The criminal charges were then lodged by the district procuracy on January 25, following which Tan was scheduled to stand trial on April 28.

In an interview with the Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper, Tan wondered if his problem was that he opened the cafe just opposite the police station and so would have offered competition to their canteen.

The public have overwhelmingly backed Tan.

Several lawyers have said that they are willing to help Tan on the case.

HCM City Police held a press conference on the morning of April 21 and received a grilling from the assembled media.

A press conference about the case was held on April 21 morning by HCM City Police

Phan Anh Minh, deputy director of HCM City Police Department told the conference that he trusted the decision by Binh Chanh District's procuracy and the case would have to go to court.

However Binh Chanh District People's Court said on April 21 afternoon that they have decided to halt the prosecution and ask local police to further investigate the case.