According to the indictment, Thu was appointed editor-in-chief in 2010 and later exploited his position by targeting organizations and businesses known to have environmental violations. Starting in 2018, he directed the journal’s editorial departments, regional offices, reporters, and collaborators to collect incriminating information under the guise of journalistic investigations.

Reporters would submit proposed topics via Zalo to the editorial board. After approval, Dong Xuan Thu, or then-deputy editor Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, would sign letters of introduction for them to use in approaching companies.

They then contacted these entities, often threatening them with exposés unless they agreed to sign various sponsorship or advertising contracts under initiatives such as the "Golden Broom Program" (with contribution levels ranging from VND 50 million to VND 300 million), children’s art projects, or informational content packages.

Prosecutors allege that these contracts were extorted under the threat of publishing reports detailing environmental violations. In some cases, pressure was applied by approaching local environmental authorities to highlight violations and force companies into negotiations with the journalists.

If businesses did not comply, the reporters proceeded to write critical articles, which were edited and approved for publication. Once published, the articles were widely shared on social media to increase pressure.

Following publication, businesses were contacted again, sometimes under the pretext of offering solutions - such as removing or modifying the article - if they agreed to sponsor or fund programs linked to the journal.

The funds collected through these coercive contracts were distributed by Thu, who allocated percentages to the editorial board, department heads, and local offices. Annual quotas and profit-sharing structures were reportedly set by Thu at the beginning of each year.

The investigation found that the accused carried out 84 separate acts of extortion, collecting more than VND 5.1 billion (approximately USD 200,000) in total.

T. Nhung