Nguyen Vu Hai, deputy director of the Vietnam Register, has been detained by the Ho Chi Minh City police for violating regulations on issuing certificates for facilities responsible for the construction, repair, and upgrade of inland waterway ships.
The police said on Tuesday that they had also searched Hai’s residence and workplace.
His detention formed part of an ongoing investigation into violations and irregularities discovered in the registration of inland waterway ships at the Vietnam Register and its inspection departments, they said.
In addition to Hai, the HCMC police have initiated legal proceedings against and arrested four individuals at Vietnam Register’s river boat department, namely Bui Quoc Hung, Dau Ngoc Binh, Phan Huy Liem and Vu Van Son; and Tran Ky Hinh, former Vietnam Register director.
All the six are charged with “abusing positions and power while on duty”.
On January 16, 2023, Hinh was detained for allegedly taking bribes in a road vehicle registration scam.
Previously, HCMC police filed charges against nine individuals, bringing the total number of suspects involved in violations related to inland waterway ship registration to 35.
From the start of the investigation into large-scale violations in road and inland waterway vehicle registration to the end of 2023, police in 49 localities have launched legal proceedings against 114 cases with more than 800 individuals involved. Of the total, nine cases involving 251 individuals were recorded in HCMC.