HCMC – Tran Ky Hinh and Dang Viet Ha, former heads of Vietnam Register, and 252 other individuals will begin standing trial on July 18 on alleged charges of auto testing irregularities.
The trial, expected to last until October 18, will be held at the HCMC People’s Court with Judge Huynh Van Truc presiding.
Dang Viet Ha faces charges of taking bribes, while his predecessor, Tran Ky Hinh, is charged with receiving bribes and abusing power while performing official duties.
The other 252 from Vietnam Register, 11 auto testing centers in HCMC, and three centers in Long An, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang provinces, are facing charges, including receiving bribes; abusing power while performing official duties; falsifying documents; producing, purchasing, selling, and exchanging illegal software; fraudulent misappropriation of property, and embezzlement.
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. The total bribes he received exceeded VND40 billion.
His predecessor, Tran Ky Hinh, engaged in similar misconduct. He is accused of accepting bribes totaling over VND6.5 billion and US$23,000 from businesses and inspection units, overlooking irregularities in licensing conditions and vehicle inspection processes. Hinh also abused his authority to approve licenses for facilities that did not meet required qualifications, thereby enabling unlawful activities and disrupting the operations of auto testing centers and Vietnam Register.
The vehicle registration scandal is deemed an organized corruption case with systematic misconduct extending from the leadership of Vietnam Register to auto testing centers nationwide. Upon its discovery, operations of most centers nationwide were halted to investigate the wrongdoing, causing significant repercussions for the public.
Since the investigation into widespread irregularities in vehicle registration began, police across 49 localities have initiated legal proceedings for 114 cases involving more than 800 defendants.
