2915D registration centre. — Photo vietnamplus

HÀ NỘI — Police of Hà Nội’s Thường Tín District has started legal proceedings against five officials at 2915D Registration Centre for taking bribes.

They are Đinh Văn Hùng, 59 years old, chairman of the members' council of Hiệp Hà Ltd Company and Phạm Chí Công, 33 years old, director of 2915D Registration Centre.

The others are employees of the registration centre under investigation are Đỗ Tiến Đức, 32 years old; Trần Văn Điềm, 26 years old; and Lưu Thị Hà, 34 years old.

According to the police, the centre’s officials received bribes from vehicle owners to ignore registration errors of vehicles that do not meet the requirements of the braking system and environmental protection emissions.

The defendants admitted they requested vehicle owners give them VNĐ200,000 to VNĐ300,000 to change the vehicle inspection results.

After receiving bribes, the inspectors performed a reverse gear procedure on the brake system so that the metre clock showed results that met standards. They also covered the 'emission sensor eye' to confirm that the machine meets the standard.

The case is being further investigated.

On January 14, Colonel Chu An Thanh, head of the Hà Nội’s Investigation Police Department on Economic, Corruption-related Crimes and Smuggling, said that the city busted nine corruption cases at ten registration centres.

Four cases with 18 defendants involved have been prosecuted for taking bribes. Among those, three defendants are centre directors, and one is a deputy director. Fourteen other defendants are the centre’s employees.

In the remaining five cases that have not been prosecuted, the police detained 57 defendants who were directors, deputy directors and employees of the city’s registration centres.

The profits appropriated in those cases were estimated at some VNĐ20 billion.

Among ten violating centres, five are State-owned centres managed by Việt Nam Register, Hà Nội’s Department of Transport and Hanoi Transport Corporation.

Five others are private centres.

According to Hà Nội’s police, the centres received bribes to ignore technical errors in vehicles such as brakes, emission standards, lights, tonnage, and spare parts.

Some centres used photo editing apps and other software to change technical errors. — VNS