Hanoi court annuls verdict in Ba Dinh school extra teaching fee case

The Hanoi People's Court has annulled the first-instance verdict and ordered a reinvestigation into the case of Nguyễn Thị Bình, the former principal of Ba Dinh Secondary School, and Phạm Thị Minh Nguyệt, the school's former accountant. Both defendants were previously convicted of “misusing positions and powers while performing official duties” related to extra teaching fees collected during the 2013-2014 school year.

The original ruling sentenced Bình to three years in prison and Nguyệt to a 24-month suspended sentence. The case involves the collection of over 2.1 billion VND in extra teaching fees, with approximately 1.09 billion VND identified as exceeding regulations.

The appellate court decided to overturn the previous sentences due to new legal developments and unresolved issues. Specifically, a conclusion from the Ministry of Justice's Department of Document Inspection found that Decision 22 of the Hanoi People's Committee—which was used as a basis to determine the legality of the fees—was inconsistent with Circular 17 of the Ministry of Education and Training. The court noted that several critical aspects of the case, including the legality of the fee ceilings and certain evidence, require further clarification to ensure an objective and thorough investigation.