Information and Communications inspectors punished for websites using the gov.vn domain name for granting visas illegally.
Vietnamvisa.gov.vn had its domain name registered by the People’s
Committee of the Dang Xa Commune in Gia Lam district,
visavietnam.gov.vn was registered by the Statistics Office of northern
Bac Giang Province’s Luc Ngan district and Vietnam-visa.gov.vn was
registered by the People’s Committee of Hai Phu Commune in northern Nam
Dinh province.
The other website, visatovietnam.gov.vn , was
found to have forged registration by the Ministry of Labours, Invalids
and Social Affairs’ International Cooperation Department.
The first two websites were found to be using the image of the national flag and coat of arms to gain more prestige.
The domain name of the website vietnamvisa.gov.vn was transferred to
Cao Van Hieu to manage after it was initially registered under the name
of Nguyen Ba Hoang, Vice-Chairman of Dang Xa Commune’s People’s
Committee.
Hieu then set up the website and cooperated with
the EVIVA tourism company to provide online visa related services. The
website has so far granted visas to around 600 people, gaining 200
million VND (9,500 USD).
The domain name of the website
visavietnam.gov.vn was registered by Head of the Statistics Office of
Luc Ngan district Le Hong Hai. It was then given to Ngo Duy Bien to set
up a website specialising in granting visas. It has so far granted visas
to between 8,000-9,000 people.
Inspectors of the Ministry
of Information and Communications proposed fining Hieu and Bien 30
million VND (1,400 USD) each for using the national flag and coat of
arms.
Inspectors also asked authorities of Gia Lam district to
punish those who signed and used their seals to register the domain
names.
As for Vietnamvisa.gov.vn, Vice Chairman of Nam
Dinh province’s Hai Phu Commune People’s Committee Duong Trung Tinh said
he was swindled into signing and stamping the website’s registration
form. The case is under further investigation.
The domain name
of website Visatovietnam.gov.vn was registered by a forged signature
of Head of the International Cooperation Department Le Kim Dung. The
signature was found to be forged by Hoang Tuan Anh, a member of the
department.
The domain name was then taken over by Do Son Ha,
the director of Indochina Treks Tourism Company in Thuong Tin, a
suburban district of Hanoi. His website has granted visas for 64 people.
Ha was fined more than 16.2 million VND (77 USD) for
collecting, handling and using personal information of others via the
Internet and for providing false information about services and
transaction conditions via an online shopping website.
Inspectors proposed the International Cooperation Department punish Tuan
Anh for forging the signature of the department’s head.
The
ministry ordered the Vietnam Internet centre to withdraw the above
domain names and to check all domain names registered by State
organisations and agencies in order to revoke domain names that were not
used in line with the functions and duties of registering agencies and
organisations.
Under current regulations, organisations and
individuals using domain names must take responsibility for the
maintenance and management of the domain name and take responsibility
for any due to inadequate management of the domain name.-VNA