Traffic inspectors unexpectedly confessed to taking protection money to buy positions

Former deputy chief traffic inspector of Can Tho, Duong Minh Tam, confessed to spending 370 million VND to get this position. The captain of the traffic inspectorate of Ninh Kieu district also confessed to spending 350 million VND.

Defendant Duong Minh Tam - former deputy chief traffic inspector of the Can Tho City Department of Transport - testified in court that he spent 370 million VND of the bribe money to run for office.

The trial of 7 traffic inspectors of Can Tho City who received bribes by the People's Court of Can Tho City on the morning of June 22 heated up when defendant Duong Minh Tam (former deputy chief traffic inspector of Can Tho City) stated that out of the bribes received from organizations and individuals, Tam used 370 million VND to "spend" on his appointment to a new position.

Take car protection money to run for office

Previously, Judge Nguyen Van Trinh - the presiding judge of the trial also said that compared to the other defendants at the trial, Tam was the youngest but had progressed faster than the other defendants.

The chairman also said he heard outside information that Tam previously declared that he would be the deputy chief traffic inspector, and then he was indeed promoted to this position.

“What did the defendants trade for? Some defendants said it was to take care of their positions, their power, their jobs. What else? Of course there was personal spending. The defendants had many expensive phones, some had very nice license plates, four of a kind numbers.

The defendants used this money for drinking, shopping, and anything else, from now until the jury deliberates, the defendants still have the opportunity to testify honestly," the judge told the defendants.

Therefore, when questioned, defendant Duong Minh Tam admitted to using 370 million to "buy a position" as above.

When asked who he paid for, Tam said he paid for Mr. TVP - Chief Traffic Inspector of Can Tho City Department of Transport. This payment was to help Tam in his transfer and promotion.

The defendants, former traffic police officers, bowed their heads as the judge analyzed their actions. Photo: Chi Quoc

Similarly, at the trial, Vo Hoang Anh (former captain of the Ninh Kieu District Traffic Inspection Team) also said that the defendant gave 350 million VND to Mr. P. when Mr. P. was still holding the position of deputy chief traffic inspector and then chief traffic inspector of the Can Tho City Department of Transport.

According to Hoang Anh, there is no evidence for giving this money. Hoang Anh said he only went to Mr. P's house to give him cash directly and the purpose of this was because "the superiors promised to support the defendant to have a better position".

The court said that in this case, many issues need to be clarified, such as bribery to people with positions and powers - Photo: Chi Quoc

Many cases have not been clarified

Also at the trial, the presiding judge said that there was a detail in this case that the investigation agency had not clarified, which was the case of Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang - a business that had dozens of trucks and tractors rented to the Ninh Kieu District Traffic Inspection Team but did not take any rental fees.

The defendants then made a fake rental contract and paid the agency back.

The presiding judge said that within the scope of this case, the court has not requested further investigation because it is currently only prosecuting the crime of "receiving bribes", not prosecuting the crime of "giving bribes", which does not only originate from the person owning the means of transport but also from the defendants in court.

Even the act of accepting bribes is not enough, it needs to be clarified further, such as the issue of the house that Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang rented out because according to the chairman, this was "not given for free but for profit, because Mr. Hoang had dozens of trucks in his hands" and besides that, there was also the matter of giving bribes to people with authority and positions.

According to TTO