Trial for exam fraud postponed due to absence of witnesses
Due to the absence of too many witnesses, the first instance trial of the exam score fraud case was forced to be postponed and will reopen on October 14-16 at the People's Court of Ha Giang province.
According to Ms. Vuong Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Chief Justice of the People's Court of Ha Giang province, judge - Chairman of the trial, after consultation, the Trial Panel decided to declare the trial adjourned due to the absence of too many witnesses, because this absence affects the trial process.
The first instance trial will be reopened on October 14-16 at the People's Court of Ha Giang province.
On September 18, the People's Court of Ha Giang province held trial on the case of abusing position and power to raise scores for a series of candidates in the 2018 National High School Exam in Ha Giang.
The trial is scheduled to last two days.
This exam cheating case has 5 defendants, of which 2 defendants Nguyen Thanh Hoai and Vu Trong Luong (former Head and Deputy Head of the Examination and Quality Management Department, Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang province) were tried for the crime of "abusing position and power while performing official duties" according to Article 356 of the 2015 Penal Code.
Defendant Trieu Thi Chinh (former Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang province) was tried for the crime of "taking advantage of position and power to influence others for personal gain" under Article 358 of the 2015 Penal Code.
The two defendants Pham Van Khuong (former Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang) and Le Thi Dung (former Deputy Head of the Education Team, Internal Political Security Department, Ha Giang Provincial Police) were tried for the crime of "taking advantage of influence over people in positions of power for personal gain" under Article 366 of the 2015 Penal Code.
Court scene. (Photo: Nguyen Quyet Chien/VNA)
The trial panel includes Judge Vuong Thi Thu Ha, Chair; Judge Mai Van Hung; and three people's jurors: Van Minh Tien, Tran Thi Ngoan and Nguyen Thi Phuong.
Two prosecutors of the People's Procuracy of Ha Giang province who held the right to prosecute and supervise the trial at the trial were Mr. Tran Quoc Hung and Ms. Vu Thi Thanh Nga.
Before the trial, the People's Court of Ha Giang province sent summonses to 177 people with related rights and obligations (including parents whose children had their scores raised) and witnesses (including former and current leaders of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang province).
The representative of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang was Mr. Lam The Hung, Deputy Director of the Department. Mr. Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Giang province and Mr. Vu Van Su, former Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang (retired) came to the Court as witnesses.
Three defense lawyers, including Hoang Van Huong, Dinh Viet Thanh and Hoang Van Doan, all defended defendant Trieu Thi Chinh (former Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang).
After the presiding judge - Judge Vuong Thi Thu Ha announced the decision to bring the case to trial, the Trial Panel proceeded to check the identities of the defendants, witnesses and people with related rights and obligations.
Although the Trial Council summoned 177 witnesses and people with rights and obligations related to the trial, there were 12 cases where the summons sent by delivery newspaper were returned, so only 165 people received the summons.
On the morning of September 18, only about 1/3 of the summoned people showed up in court. The rest were absent without reason or had requested to be absent.
On the side of the prosecution agency, according to the representative of the People's Procuracy of Ha Giang province, after reviewing the data, the absence of witnesses will affect the rights of many defendants, so the Procuracy proposed to postpone the trial.
In addition, regarding the decision to bring the case to trial, the Procuracy proposed to summon Ms. Vu Thi Kim Chung, Principal of Ha Giang Province High School for the Gifted, and Ms. Tong Thi Phuong (aunt of defendant Vu Trong Luong).
After the Trial Council deliberated, the presiding judge announced the decision to postpone the trial on the grounds that witnesses had been duly summoned to the trial but many were still absent with and without reason. This could affect the outcome of the trial./.
