The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court began the trial on 10/3. Defendants Mai Thi Bich Hong and Le Son Lam, former employees of the Center for Traffic Mechanical Practice Skills, were the whistleblowers whose confessions helped authorities uncover the centers' violations. They face charges of abusing position and power while on duty.

Ho Van Bup, former director of the Center for Traffic Mechanical Practice Skills, Nguyen Van Duong, former deputy director, and 22 other defendants—leaders and employees from five other driver training centers—are indicted on charges including: abusing position and power while on duty, forgery in work, bribery, and illegally trading invoices and state budget payment documents.

Additionally, Vu Duc Thieu, former chairman of the Central III College of Transport Council, and Hoang Van Tan, former vice principal and acting principal, face charges of abusing position and power while on duty, under clause 3, article 356 of the Penal Code. Two tax officials are also charged with receiving bribes.

85 visiting lecturers from training centers affiliated with the Central III College of Transport, along with other individuals and organizations, have been summoned as parties with related rights and obligations.

The defendants at today's trial. Photo: Hai Duyen

According to the case file, on 5/4/2023, Mai Thi Bich Hong, an employee of the Center for Traffic Mechanical Practice Skills, submitted a confession detailing her fraudulent actions, including inflating driver training fees to embezzle 16 million VND from two students.

On the same day, Le Son Lam also confessed to impersonating his son, Le Son Tung, to sign fictitious teaching contracts, visiting lecturer payment statements, and fuel receipts, embezzling 20,4 million VND from the center.

These confessions prompted the Ho Chi Minh City Police to expand their investigation, uncovering violations at the Central III College of Transport and its affiliated centers.

5 centers issue 16,000 illegal driver training certificates

The People's Procuracy has identified this as a particularly serious case, occurring at five centers between 2021 and 2022. The centers' methods involved not organizing centralized training; instead, teachers and staff falsified records and exam papers. In some instances, students received complete documentation even without taking exams. These systemic violations were prolonged, stemming from center leaders abusing their positions and power by failing to fulfill their assigned duties.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport licensed these centers to provide training and issue vocational certificates for B1, B2, and C car driver categories, but they lacked the authority for driver's license testing.

At the Center for Traffic Mechanical Practice Skills, after his appointment as director in 10/2021, Ho Van Bup and his subordinates directed the legalization of driver training records to issue certificates to unqualified students.

Defendant Ho Van Bup at today's trial. Photo: Hai Duyen

Investigators determined that by falsifying teaching records and visiting lecturer signatures, the center illegally issued certificates to over 3,800 students, causing damages exceeding 14,6 billion VND. To conceal these violations, Bup also directed the purchase of hundreds of fictitious value-added tax invoices, illegally profited over 12,9 billion VND, and bribed tax inspection officials to overlook the infractions.

Authorities allege that with similar tactics, the four remaining centers—Thuan An Center for Traffic Mechanical Practice Skills; Center for Applied Science and Technology and Construction Quality Inspection Consulting; Driver Training and Testing Center; and Driver Training Center—issued illegal certificates to over 12,000 students.

The People's Procuracy found that the leadership of Central III College of Transport failed to strictly implement internal regulations when assigning tasks and signing unauthorized delegation documents. They also lacked adequate inspection and supervision over the centers' training management, record keeping, and testing activities.

This lax management led to the legalization of records, 'phantom' training, and the illegal issuance of certificates. Many unqualified students were still able to take tests and receive driver's licenses for personal gain.

The trial is expected to conclude on 20/3.

Hai Duyen