Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested two individuals for publishing and disseminating false information on social media about Lieutenant General Le Hong Nam, former Director of the HCMC Police Department. The information originated from baseless claims made by convicted influencer Nguyen Phuong Hang.

According to the HCMC Police Information Office, the arrested individuals are Tran Nhu Phuoc (38, from Khanh Hoa) and Ngo Son Ha (51, from Lam Dong).

Police clarified that Lieutenant General Le Hong Nam officially began retirement procedures on June 1, 2025, in accordance with Party and ministry regulations, as part of a national restructuring of provincial police leadership.

However, police monitoring of social media revealed several accounts uploading videos featuring images of senior officials, including Nam, with sensationalist titles designed to attract viewers. These videos included false narratives criticizing the government's personnel decisions, the restructuring of public service apparatus, and the investigation involving Nguyen Phuong Hang.

On June 9, social media began circulating claims fabricated by Phuong Hang - who was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the rights of others - alleging misconduct related to Nam's retirement.

Two TikTok accounts, “phuoc79” (managed by Phuoc) and “SonHa2” (managed by Ha), then edited and reshared these unverified claims, embedding narratives that mocked the state's reform agenda and defamed Party and government leaders. The videos garnered thousands of views and interactions, stirring confusion and potentially damaging the reputations of individuals and institutions involved.

Following an investigation, police confirmed the operators behind the accounts. Coordinating with local authorities in Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, HCMC police arrested Phuoc and Ha and launched legal proceedings.

The two are being investigated for violating Article 331 of the 2015 Penal Code: “Abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the lawful interests of the State, organizations, or individuals.”

HCMC police emphasized that while the state respects and protects freedom of speech, that right must be exercised within the bounds of the law. Citizens are urged to engage responsibly on digital platforms. Actions that exploit social media to slander individuals or misrepresent official matters are illegal and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Dam De