Collected money from more than 400 students and then issued fake IT and foreign language certificates

On July 12, the Hanoi People's Court brought defendant Le Thi Vinh (born 1991, residing in Hanoi) and defendant Do Thanh Tuan (born 1987, residing in Hanoi) to trial under the appellate procedure. The trial was opened to consider defendant Vinh's appeal for innocence and defendant Tuan's appeal for a reduced sentence.

Previously, the court of first instance sentenced defendants Vinh and Tuan to 9 years and 6 months in prison and 4 years and 6 months in prison, respectively, for the crimes of Fraudulent appropriation of property and Forgery of seals and documents of agencies and organizations.

According to the first instance verdict, in January 2015, defendant Vinh established and became the director and legal representative of Slearning Online Education and Training Joint Stock Company (Slearning Company), directly managing all activities of the company.

In June 2016, through social relationships, Le Thi Vinh met Do Thanh Tuan. At that time, Tuan introduced himself as working at Thanh Chan International Clinic, having a relationship with the Institute of Information Technology of Hanoi National University, and could help organize exams to issue IT and foreign language certificates.

At that time, Vinh learned that many teachers in Hanoi needed IT and foreign language certificates to qualify for civil service exams.

Vinh discussed with Tuan that Slearning Company would be responsible for recruiting, receiving applications and collecting money from students, then transferring the responsibility to Tuan to organize exams to issue IT and foreign language certificates, and Tuan agreed.

From the beginning of August to September 2016, Slearning Company collected money and documents from 442 students who registered to take the IT certificate exam with a fee of 2.5 million VND/person; A2 English certificate with a fee of 3.5 million VND/person; B1 English certificate with a fee of 10 million VND/person.

After that, Vinh gave the money and the students' exam records to Tuan so that he could contact institutes and schools to organize exams and issue IT, English A2, and English B1 certificates.

The first instance verdict stated that Tuan hired someone (unknown background) to make IT certificates from the Institute of Information Technology - Hanoi National University for 1.1 million VND/certificate. The defendant gave more than 100 IT certificates to Vinh to distribute to students.

By the end of October 2016, many students suspected that the IT certificates were fake, so they filed a complaint with the police. The investigation agency determined that the two defendants had appropriated 410 million VND from 164 victims, of which 102 people requested compensation and 62 people did not request compensation.

At the appeal hearing, defendant Tuan admitted to the alleged actions. Meanwhile, defendant Vinh admitted to the actions but claimed that he was wrongly accused and did not commit a crime.

After consideration, the appellate court decided to partially accept the appeal of the two defendants and partially amend the first instance judgment because it considered the judgment to be somewhat harsh. Furthermore, the first instance court did not consider that at the time of trial, defendant Vinh was raising a child under 36 months old.

The appellate court sentenced defendant Vinh to 8 years and 9 months in prison and Tuan to 4 years and 3 months in prison for both charges.