HÀ NỘI — Ngụy Thị Khanh, director of Việt Nam’s Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID), has been arrested for tax evasion.
On Tuesday, the Hà Nội Police’s Office of Police Investigation Agency announced that the agency had started legal proceedings against the 46-year-old prominent green advocator, for tax evasion as prescribed in Article 200 of the Penal Code.
Khanh’s specific misconduct has not been announced.
In 2011, Khanh established the Green Innovation and Development Centre to promote sustainable energy development in Việt Nam. The centre specialises in researching and providing sustainable energy solutions for the community and participates in consulting and giving recommendations in the fields of energy planning, renewable energy, climate change, reduction of fossil energy use and clean water supply.
Khanh is also a founding member of the Việt Nam Sustainable Energy Alliance, a network of 11 national and international organisations.
In April 2018, Khanh was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, the world’s largest award for grassroots environmental activists. Khanh used scientific research and engaged Vietnamese State agencies to advocate for sustainable long-term energy projections and reduction in coal power dependency in Việt Nam. — VNS