HCMC – Two former heads of Vietnam Register, Tran Ky Hinh and Dang Viet Ha, along with 252 other individuals, began standing trial today, July 18, on alleged charges of irregularities in auto testing, according to local media reports.
The trial, which is slated to last until October 18, is taking place at both the HCMC People’s Court and Chi Hoa Prison (T30) under the supervision of Judge Huynh Van Truc.
This case involves a record number of 254 defendants. Dang Viet Ha faces charges of taking bribes, while Tran Ky Hinh, his predecessor, is accused of accepting bribes and abusing his official power.
The remaining defendants are affiliated with Vietnam Register, 11 auto testing centers in HCMC, and three centers in Long An, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang provinces. They are charged with offenses including bribery, abuse of power, document falsification, illegal software production, purchase, sale, and exchange, misappropriation of property, and embezzlement.
Over 200 lawyers are defending the accused and representing the victims and others involved in the case. Dang Viet Ha has four lawyers.
Nearly 60 individuals with relevant rights and obligations have been summoned.
The indictment states that as head of Vietnam Register, Dang Viet Ha neglected his responsibilities and accepted bribes from auto testing centers to overlook their violations in auto registration and inspection activities.
He took bribes worth a total of VND40.3 billion, with VND8.5 billion identified as personal gain.
His predecessor, Tran Ky Hinh, is alleged to have accepted bribes totaling more than VND6.5 billion and US$23,000 from businesses and inspection units, overlooking irregularities in licensing conditions and vehicle inspection processes.
He also abused his authority by approving licenses for facilities that did not meet required qualifications, thereby enabling unlawful activities and disrupting the operations of auto testing centers and Vietnam Register.
