The director and 9 employees of the registration center received prison sentences for accepting bribes

The People’s Court of Bac Kan province has just opened a first instance trial, sentencing 10 defendants to the same crime of accepting bribes, according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 354 of the Penal Code.

Among them, defendant Tran Duc Duong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Bac Kan Registration Joint Stock Company (Registry Center 97-01D), received a 4-year prison sentence and an additional fine of 50 million VND.

In the same case, defendant Hoang Huy Truong, Deputy Director of Registration Center 97-01D, was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and an additional fine of 40 million VND.

The remaining 8 defendants are employees of the registration center mentioned above, receiving sentences ranging from 2 years to 3 years and 6 months in prison.

In addition to criminal liability, the court also announced the collection of money the defendants benefited from accepting bribes to supplement the state fund.

According to the indictment, from 2020 – 2022, as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the 97-01D Registration Center, defendant Duong directed and agreed with defendant Truong, surveyors and professional staff to receive bribe money from registration customers.

By receiving money, the defendants will ignore the error of not meeting inspection conditions to issue registration certificates for motor vehicles and specialized machines in violation of the law.

The prosecution agency determined that the group of defendants each time received money from 150,000 VND to 1.5 million VND, from a total of 997 customers who came to register. The total amount of bribes received by the defendants was nearly 334 million VND.

The amount of money received was managed and distributed by defendant Duong to registrars and professional staff.

In court, the defendants honestly confessed and admitted their crimes. Considering the personal identities and aggravating and mitigating circumstances of criminal liability, as well as the nature and extent of the defendants’ violations, the trial panel imposed penalties as stated.