Arresting a group of people who took advantage of the press to 'protect' cars and profit from billions of dollars

Specifically, 3 subjects were prosecuted for the crime of "Taking advantage of influence over people in positions of power and authority for personal gain" including Le Danh Tao (57 years old, residing in Tran Phu ward, Ha Tinh city, the leader), Ho Thi Hai (41 years old, Director of Healthy Living and Law Media Company Limited, wife of Le Danh Tao) and Ho Kim Cuong (35 years old), younger brother of Ho Thi Hai.

Director of Ha Tinh Provincial Police, Colonel Nguyen Hong Phong interrogates suspect Le Danh Tao. Photo: CACC

Le Danh Tao used to be a journalist and contributor to several newspapers and magazines. During his career, he became acquainted with many traffic police and traffic inspectors in many provinces and cities across the country, and also with several long-distance freight transport companies.

Discovering that many drivers often commit administrative violations in the field of road traffic, Tao asked them to contribute from 6 to 8 million VND/month/vehicle to receive "protection" from Tao. The subject pledged that as long as it was "Tao's vehicle", the authorities would ignore it or if it was stopped or checked, Tao would directly call to intervene.

The investigation agency read the search warrant at the residence of Ho Thi Hai (wife of Le Danh Tao). Photo: CACC

At the same time, Le Danh Tao and his accomplices directly raised the issue with the traffic police and traffic inspectors, asking for favorable conditions, to ignore or lightly handle the violations that drivers had paid "legal" fees for. In case the traffic police or traffic inspectors did not agree, the group would threaten to write defamatory and distorted articles, and find every way to detect violations during the work of the traffic police force, thereby controlling them.

Evidence seized by the investigation agency. Photo: CACC

To conceal their crimes, the group established businesses and transport cooperatives, legalized the amount of money that drivers had to pay monthly as "fees" to the cooperative, and established closed zalo groups to exchange related information. With the above method, each month the subjects illegally profited over 1 billion VND.

Actively supporting Le Danh Tao's activities are Ho Thi Hai (Tao's wife) and Ho Kim Cuong (Ho Thi Hai's younger brother, a collaborator of the Environment and Urban magazine).

Relevant documents that the group used to commit crimes. Photo: CACC

Ho Thi Hai is responsible for managing the bank account that receives the "legal" money, reminding drivers to pay the monthly legal money, sending logos to drivers, while Ho Kim Cuong supports Le Danh Tao in raising issues with traffic police stations.

Under the protection of the group of subjects, long-distance freight vehicles often violate various administrative violations such as oversize, overload, speeding, running red lights, etc., posing many potential risks to traffic safety. The behavior of the group of subjects affects the performance of duties of the Traffic Police and Traffic Inspectors.

The case is currently under investigation.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bat-nhom-doi-tuong-loi-dung-danh-nghia-bao-chi-bao-ke-xe-truc-loi-tien-ty-2219940.html