Police in HCM City have charged Nguyễn Phương Hằng, general director of Đại Nam JSC, with spreading false information online. – Photo baochinhphu.vn

HCM CITY – A business owner in HCM City has been charged with spreading false information online.

Police in HCM City charged Nguyễn Phương Hằng, general director of the Đại Nam JSC, and three accomplices, for “abusing rights of freedom and democracy to infringe upon interests of the State, rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals”.

The police have proposed the municipal People’s Procuracy prosecute the four for the charge under Article 331 of the 2015 Penal Code.

According to the investigation, Hằng, born in 1971 and residing in District 1 of HCM City, took advantage of her influence to spread unverified information about other people’s private lives via social networks.

In March 2021, via her social media accounts, Hằng organised livestreams during which she talked about some people’s private lives and used words that were “humiliating and insulting” to their honour and dignity.

She was put into temporary detention on March 24, 2022.

On November 30, 2022, police launched a probe into the activities of Nguyễn Thị Mai Nhi (born in 1983, assistant to Nguyễn Phương Hằng), Lê Thị Thu Hà (born in 1992, employee of Đại Nam JSC), and Huỳnh Công Tân (born in 1994, head of the communications division of the Đại Nam JSC), who were accused of helping Hằng hold the livestreams. They were also banned from leaving their homes. – VNS