The
Ha Noi People’s Court yesterday, May 24, sentenced two Indonesian men to 15
years in prison for theft.

The Ha Noi People’s Court sentenced two Indonesian men to 15 years in prison for theft.

Aldy Prayoga, 39, and
Teddy Wijava, 36, were forced to pay more than VND2.2 billion (US$110,000) in
compensation to the victim.

According to evidence
heard, Prayoga, Wijava and Charles Arisandy, all from Indonesia, entered Viet
Nam on April 11, 2010 to engage in stealing money. They stayed at a hotel in
Hang Be street in the capital’s Hoan Kiem District and targeted bank customers.

In their plan,
Arisandy watched clients withdraw money at banks, after which Wijava would ride
a motorbike and stick nails into clients’ automobile rear tyres. Prayoga would
steal the clients’ property.

On April 12, 2010,
they hired motorbikes and drove to Techcombank branch in Trung Hoa-Nhan Chinh
area in Cau Giay District. There they spotted a man withdrawing VND2.2 billion
(more than US$100,000) from the bank in the company of his wife and
mother-in-law.

The thieves followed
their victims, planted nails into the tyres of their car at the intersection of
Le Van Luong and Lang Ha streets and stole the money while the victims were
replacing the punctured tyre. The culprits then exchanged the money into US
dollars and returned to Indonesia the next day.

Later, Prayoga and
Wijava returned to Viet Nam and applied the same strategy for theft on October
27, 28 and 29, 2010 but failed to get their hands on any money. They were then
arrested by police on October 30.

At the court, the men
admitted to stealing VND2.2 billion together with Arisandy.

Arisandy has had no
contact with the two accused men since his return to Indonesia and the
investigative agency have decided to handle the case against him later as he is
not currently in Viet Nam.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News