First instance trial on exam cheating scandal in Hoa Binh opens

At the trial (Photo: VNA)

Thirteen out of 15 defendants who are former education officials, teachers and police officers in the province are being tried for abuse of power while performing their official duties to inflate the exam scores of students.

Among the defendants are Nguyen Quang Vinh, born in 1966, residing in Hoa Binh city, former head of the Testing and Quality Assurance Division under the provincial Department of Education and Training; Diep Thi Hong Lien, born in 1974, residing in Hoa Binh city, former vice head of the Testing and Quality Assurance Division; and Khuong Ngoc Chat, born in 1975, residing in Hoa Binh city, former head of the Internal Political Security Division under the provincial Department of Public Security.

Do Manh Tuan, born in 1979, residing in Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province, former vice principle of Lac Thuy District Secondary and High Boarding School, is also charged for receiving bribes in addition to abuse of power.

Ho Chuc, born in 1975, residing in Phu Thanh commune, Lac Thuy district, former teacher of Thanh Ha High school in Lac Thuy district is charged for giving bribes.

According to the indictment by the provincial People’s Prosecuracy, the defendants abused their power and made use of their relationships to collude and intervene to raise the marks of candidates in the national high school exam in 2017 and 2018.

The intervention raised marks for 65 candidates who sat for the national exam in 2018 and one candidate who sat for the national exam in 2017.

Of the candidates benefiting from the scheme, 45 were forced to quit school after their exams were re-marked objectively, ten others could continue their university courses as their remarked scores were eligible for university admission.

Six other candidates did not attend university courses even though their remarked scores met universities’ requirements, one candidate failed to get university admission while another candidate did not apply for any university or college.

The trial will run until May 18.