Nguyen Huu Hong, the principal of Dinh Son Middle School in Nghe An province, has been temporarily suspended from his duties after being charged with involvement in an online gambling case. On August 5, local officials confirmed that Hong has been suspended from his position and from party activities due to his alleged participation in illegal gambling.

According to Dang Dinh Luc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nhan Hoa commune, Hong was charged with the crime of gambling. Following his suspension, a vice principal has been assigned to manage the school's operations. Hong is required to complete the handover of all school documents, finances, and assets to the vice principal by August 5.

The investigation began on July 15, when the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An province, in collaboration with local police, dismantled two online gambling rings led by Nguyen Quy Cuong, 37, from Hue city, and Nguyen Duy Sy, 47, from Nhan Hoa commune. These groups reportedly used foreign betting accounts, distributing them to sub-accounts for online gambling.

Since the start of the 2026 World Cup, the total amount of money transacted by these two groups has been identified as exceeding 6.6 billion VND. As the investigation expanded, authorities determined that Nguyen Huu Hong was connected to the gambling activities and subsequently issued a decision to charge him.

On July 24, the Nghe An Provincial Police announced the initiation of a criminal case regarding the gambling activities occurring in Nhan Hoa commune. The investigation has led to restrictions on Hong's movement as part of the legal proceedings against him, as specified under Article 321 of the Penal Code.