Speaking with Giao Thong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Pham Xuan Nam, inspector of Kien Giang Province Department of Tourism, who was accused of "extorting" businesses, said that the contents of the complaint were not true.

"The request for 5 million VND was to support the conference, I did not do it for personal gain. When Mr. Ha Tuan Minh, the legal representative of Vietnam Winner International Travel Company (Phu Quoc city) went to China, I asked Mr. Minh to buy a phone for me, not to force him to give it to me as a gift," Mr. Nam explained.

According to Mr. Nam, because he thought that Mr. Minh was a long-time friend, he texted quite freely. From there, the content of the message could cause misunderstandings and was not up to standard.

Mr. Nam also informed that the incident has been grasped by the Department's leaders and specialized departments of the province, and will be verified to clarify the contents.

Previously, Mr. Bui Quoc Thai, Director of Kien Giang Province Department of Tourism, also directed the establishment of a team to verify the incident.

Mr. Thai affirmed that there will be a conclusion as soon as possible and there will be strict handling if the inspector commits any violations as stated in the complaint.

As reported by Giao Thong Newspaper, Mr. Ha Tuan Minh sent a petition, with evidence, accusing the officer Mr. Pham Xuan Nam of showing signs of "extortion".

"On December 4, 2023, Mr. Pham Xuan Nam, an inspector of Kien Giang Department of Tourism, called me to ask for financial support for Kien Giang Department of Tourism to organize some conference.

On December 12, 2023, Mr. Nam called me via Zalo to continue talking about the support fund, then sent me the bank account number of a person named Nguyen Xuan Luy for me to transfer money.

On December 15, 2023, after the phone call, I transferred 5,000,000 VND (Five million VND) to the account provided by Mr. Nam.

On May 14, 2024, while I was on a business trip in Dongxing - China, Mr. Nam called me again, asking me to buy him a phone.

"Because my work schedule is very busy and I don't have much money, I refuse," Mr. Minh stated in the application.