Police in Hanoi on Monday detained seven people from a company for assaulting and abusing a group of reporters who were investigating residents’ complaints about the firm.

 

When the three reporters showed their cards on November 4, Nguyen Huu Tuan, director of Thang Long Construction, Commerce and Import Export Joint Stock Company, asked his employees to take the cards and close the door.

 

Around ten minutes later, Tuan came back and laid a pack of money on the table, accused the reporters of exortion and asked his employees to beat them up, local news website Dan Tri cited a police report as saying.

 

The reporters from the Moi truong va Suc khoe (Environment and Health) magazine had received complaints from people living near a concrete factory belonging to the company, saying the operation has produced a lot of cement dust and loud noises to affect their health.

 

Tuan didn’t introduce himself as the company director but said he was authorized by the director to meet the reporters. The two sides had set up the meeting beforehand.

 

The 39-year-old only admitted his position when the police came in, following a call from the reporters.

 

Further investigations are ongoing.