Former Vietnam Register chiefs jailed for receiving bribes, power abuse

Dang Viet Ha, who served as the head of the Vietnam Register from August 2021 to September 2022, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for accepting bribes. His predecessor, Tran Ky Hinh, received a 25-year sentence for both accepting bribes and abusing his power, according to the verdict delivered by the HCMC People’s Court.

This trial, the largest in Vietnam's history given the number of defendants, opened on July 18.

Besides Ha and Hinh, 252 others also stood trial for numerous charges regarding violations in the vehicle registration process.

Prosecutors highlighted the national scope of the case, underscoring the severe consequences of these violations. They noted that ignoring vehicle defects could lead to traffic accidents, posing significant risks to public safety.

Hinh was found guilty of gross negligence in his management role, allowing violations to persist unchecked over an extended period, resulting in severe consequences. Hinh had received over VND7 billion ($280,252) in bribes from numerous businesses and vehicle registration units, overlooking violations at vehicle registration centers and the vehicle evaluation process.

Hinh was also found to have abused his power by permitting ship-making facilities to operate illegally, disrupting the normal functioning of vehicle registration units.

Ha meanwhile directed employees at vehicle registration units to receive bribes, and he himself received bribes worth around VND8.4 billion from several vehicle registration centers. Ha also has to take responsibility for VND40 billion worth of bribes received at vehicle registration units.