Exam cheating in Son La: Identities of those who asked for score increases announced

According to the investigation results of Son La Provincial Police (which have been delivered to the defendants), before entering the exam marking stage, from June 27 to 29, 2018, the defendants in the case received 'favors' from many other people to raise the scores of the candidates.

Accordingly, Mr. Tran Xuan Yen - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Son La, helped 13 candidates. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Nga - specialist of the Examination and Quality Management Department, helped 16 candidates. Mr. Lo Van Huynh - Head of the Examination and Quality Management Department, helped 7 candidates.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Nhan - Deputy Head of the Examination and Quality Management Department, helped 4 candidates. Mr. Dang Huu Thuy - Vice Principal of To Hieu High School, helped 4 candidates. Ms. Cam Thi Bun Son - Deputy Head of the Political and Ideological Department of the Department of Education and Training, helped 1 candidate.

The security investigation agency read the decision to prosecute Mr. Dang Huu Thuy - Vice Principal of To Hieu High School, member of the multiple-choice test marking team. Photo: Security agency

Explaining to the police, Mr. Tran Xuan Yen said that in the 13 cases he helped raise scores, 8 candidates were sent by Mr. Hoang Tien Duc (Director of the Department of Education and Training); 4 cases were sent by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha (Head of the Department of Secondary Education), of which 2 candidates matched Mr. Duc's list, one of whom was Mr. Ha's daughter.

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Nga stated that Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha sent 8 cases, including 4 candidates who were on the same list as Mr. Tran Xuan Yen gave to Ms. Nga. Mr. Tran Van Dien (officer of the Center for Continuing Education - Vocational Training of Son La City) went to Ms. Nga's office to ask her to raise the scores for 4 cases.

Notably, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Nguyen Duy Hoang also went to Ms. Nga's office to give her child's personal information to ask for a raise in History and Geography scores.

In addition, Mr. Tran Van Phuc - Principal of Co Noi High School (Mai Son District), went to Ms. Nga's house to give her a list of candidates who needed their scores raised. Ms. Dinh Thi Thang (Ms. Nga's sister-in-law, in Son La City) also took the opportunity to confide in her about a case.

Mr. Lo Van Huynh stated that he was sent by Mr. Nguyen Minh Khoa (Son La City) to raise the scores of 3 candidates. The remaining cases were sent by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha. Mr. Nguyen Hong Ha (Head of the Department of Education and Training of Phu Yen District) sent 1 case. Ms. Lo Thi Truong (Son La City) sent 1 case.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Nhan was "asked" by Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung (Head of the Hat Lot Town Health Station, Mai Son District) to raise the scores of 4 candidates.

Mr. Dang Huu Thuy was asked by Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim (Accountant of To Hieu School), Ms. Bui Thi Xuan (Son La Plant Protection Department), Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuyen (Muong Bang Secondary School, Mai Son District) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Ha (To Hieu School) to raise the scores of 4 candidates to have enough points to be admitted to the police school, Hanoi Medical University, and National Economics University.

The remaining, Ms. Cam Thi Bun Son was "asked" to raise the score for 1 candidate. Mr. Do Khac Hung (a provincial police officer) was sent 1 case by Mr. Nguyen Minh Khoa.

Mr. Dinh Hai Son (a provincial police officer) was also sent a case by Mr. Nguyen Minh Khoa, plus another case of Mr. Son's brother-in-law. Hung and Son asked the Huynh - Nga group to do it.

Reviewing the list of candidates who were "asked" to raise their scores in the above exam cheating case, there were 28/44 cases of candidates registering for admission to police and military schools. These candidates were admitted to the schools with very high scores and then, when the incident broke out and the press strongly intervened, they were expelled from the police and military schools and sent back to their localities.