Speaking at a news briefing, Tran Thi Kim Ly, chief of the Office of the Investigative Division at the HCMC Police Department, said HCMC investigators had filed charges against Ha and arrested him as they were expanding an investigation of suspected irregularities at automobile registration and inspection centers.

He was accused of taking bribes, Ly told assembled reporters.

Recently, the Ministry of Public Security and the police departments of HCMC and other provinces are coordinating to probe signs of bribe brokering, giving and taking, and falsifying documents at auto registration and inspection centers.

More than 50 individuals are facing the above charges, including Tran Anh Quan, acting head of the Motor Vehicle Inspection Division at Vietnam Register, Dang Tran Khanh, deputy head of this division, and many leaders of auto registration and inspection centers.

There are 12 auto registration and inspection centers found to have infringed regulations as many vehicles did not meet technical and environmental standards to run on the road but they were still certified as eligible for use.

Data showed more than 70,000 such vehicles got accredited.

Source: Saigon Times