Tran Xuan Yen, deputy director of the Department of Education and Training (right)

Colonel Vi Quyen Chu, deputy head of Son La Department of Public Security, said on May 24 that they had transferred the documents to the Son La People's Procuracy and proposed the prosecution. Eight state officials who will be prosecuted are Tran Xuan Yen, deputy director of the Department of Education and Training, Lo Van Huynh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, head and deputy head of the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance.

Other employees were Nguyen Thi Hong Nga, an employee at the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance, Dang Huu Thuy, headmaster of To Hieu High School, Cam Thi Bun Son, an employee at Son La Department of Education and Training as well as Dang Van Thuy and Do Khac Hung from Son La Department of Public Security.

Colonel Vi Quyen Chu said this was only the first phase of the investigation. The police have focused on the method and motive of eight officials' involvement in the scandal as well as their roles in the case.

The cheating scandals have been discovered in Son La, Ha Giang and Hoa Binh provinces. However, the situation in Son La is much more serious as the scores of up to 97 tests of 44 pupils have been modified. Many of them are children or relatives of local officials.

On April 10, Son La Province People's Procuracy started prosecuting Major Dinh Hai Son from the provincial Department of Public Security for abuse of position and power. Son helped other accomplices modify the test scores and asked to change the scores for two pupils, including for his brother-in-law.

One of the pupils with average academic ability had his score raised by 12 points. It was later revealed that his father worked in the taxation department in Son La. In a similar situation, another pupil who often had bad scores suddenly scored very high in the high school examination. His parents both work in public security. Dtinews