Hun Hean

Banteay Meanchey provincial court on Monday charged four senior police officials with corruption in relation to drug trafficking, following a spate of arrests over the last week.

The charges were handed down to Hun Hean, former police chief of the province; his deputy, Chheang Son ; Moek Dara, former secretary-general for the National Authority for Combatting Drugs; and Chea Leng, former head of the Ministry of Interior’s counter-drug department.

All four, who were removed from their posts before they were arrested in questioning by authorities last week, had been the targets of an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation.

“Now we’ve charged them with taking bribes in relation to a drug trafficking case,” Ton Sihak Teches, prosecutor for the Bantey Meanchey provincial court, told VOA Khmer.

Though all four were charged at the provincial court, they were arrested and held separately: Moek Dara in Prey Sar prison, outside Phnom Penh, Chea Leng in Banteay Meanchey provincial prison, and Hun Hean and Cheang Son in Siam Reap provincial prison.

They were charged under Article 38 of the 1992 penal code and face up to seven years in prison if convicted, Ton Sihak Teches said.

Sum Chankea, Banteay Meanchey coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said the group was following the case to ensure “equality of all detainees and the legal process for them.”

Monday’s indictments follow the November arrest of Pursat provincial prosecutor Chan Sereivuth, who was also charged under corruption in an ACU investigation.

Hun Hean is the former chief bodyguard for Interior Minister Sar Kheng, and Moek Dara is the former police chief of Battambang province, where Sar Kheng enjoys much political support.

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Corruption Charges Leveled at Detained Police, Officials

Ninety complaints from 2,700 people across 14 provinces were filed with the unit last month, after a watchdog group claimed people were paying too much for annual vehicle tags.

Om Yentieng, the director of the ACU, told a roundtable of media representatives on Tuesday the unit had prepared all of the complaints for formal processing.

“The tax agents overcharged for the annual vehicle tax with invoices and without,” he said. “We are putting the complaints on the table to prepare a procedural process.”

Om John, deputy chief of the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s tax department, said the department too is studying the complaints for possible investigation.

San Chey, a project coordinator for the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability In East Asia and the Pacific, which helped collect and file the complaints, welcomed the news.

“This unit is not ignoring the complaints from people” he said. “I strongly encourage the Anti-Corruption Unit in helping an additional investigation and taking action to eliminate corruption in the collection of annual vehicle taxes.”

San Chey said he had not included the names of tax officials in the complaints but would provide them if requested.

Source: VOA Khmer

The new plan will help businesses register with the Ministry of Commerce and receive business certificates and licenses, said Om Yienteng, head of the Anti-Corruption Unit, during the Cambodia-Korea Transparency International Symposium in Phnom Penh.

“For example,” he said, “The Ministry of Commerce lists a company. What documents does it need? How much does it cost? How long is the wait?”

The new plan will also include birth certificates for Cambodians and efforts to prevent officials from asking more money than is legally required, he said.

The Anti-Corruption Unit is also developing internal oversight for its own investigating officials to ensure they are maintaining proper relationships.

Om Yientang also said it was important that people accused of corruption are sent to court as a deterrent. “If someone dares to make corruption, that man cannot make corruption,” he said.

“I am convinced that Cambodia can achieve greater successes for fighting against corruption by reforming the system in the government ministries and institutions in the future,” Shin-Bom Lee, a former member of South Korea’s National Assembly and now a member of the Blue Korea Foundation, said.

Savuth Bora, the head of DNL Global Services Co., Ltd, said that the Anti-Corruption Unit’s plan would help investment in Cambodia by preventing the bribes many companies complain of making to government officials.

“The Anti-Corruption Unit can make a clear plan by limiting that all businessmen must pay $100 or $120 for their company license or company listing,” he said.

Van Luy, head of Eurotech Import Export Co., Ltd., said the plan will also help government revenue that is lost to bribes and illegal operations.

“If we issue a strong and clear law, it is very good for Cambodia,” she said. “All walks of people will not dare to violate the law.”

Source: VOA Khmer

A catwalk “fashion” show of new and innovative messages to empower and encourage the fight against corruption will also be delivered.

Those Cambodian popular performers consisted of DJ Kleang, Meas Soksophea, Chhorn Sovannareach, Sokun Niza, Sorn Sokinda, Tak Ma, An Kunkola, and Muth Udom, as well as comedy troupe KUY.