FOR DOCUMENTATION NOT FOR SALE PURPOSES AMONG Corruption Monitor PARTNERS ONLY Issue 13 - December 2008 Monthly review of corruption-related stories in the Cambodian media THIS MONTH Interior Minister pusHes to end The US$40 million emergency food corruption WitHin police forces relief provided by the Asian Develop- ment Bank early November caused Interior Minister Sar Kheng on No- economic crime police officers deployed nationwide protests against corrup- vember 21 urged police forces to end to control several national roads includ- tion during the distribution of the rice their long held culture of corruption, or ing the main national roads 4 and 5 only bags. It is interesting that so many they would face tough measures includ- are extorting money from businessmen ordinary people felt free to openly ing dismissal, newspapers reported No- and other citizens, demanded the Nation- protest against perceived corrupt of- vember 24. al Police Commission to redeploy them ficials. Also, seldom has a corruption- Sar Kheng, who also serves as depu- in order to end this illegal practice, the related issue been covered in so many ty prime minister, said that police, espe- Khmer-language daily added. Cambodian news reports (20 stories cially anti-economic crime forces, have He said that economic crime police in the media monitored for this survey been criticized for engaging in graft fail to fulfill their duties to serve national alone). Another positive development to rise through ranks and for extorting and public interest, and work only for related to corruption was the unprec- money from business people and other their personal advantages. edented criticism Interior Minister Sar citizens, according to Moneaksekar “So far to what extent have anti-eco- Kheng expressed against the common Khmer. nomic crime police contributed to crack- practice of bribing within the police “I would like to suggest that the culture ing down on economic offenses? Noth- force: “The culture of administration of administration to obtain a higher rank ing. I have never received [such] reports, to obtain a higher rank or a position or a position must be ceased, otherwise only complaints,” Sar Kheng was quoted must be ceased, otherwise your po- your police will eventually have no com- on Radio Free Asia November 22. lice will eventually have no competent petent experts […] so we need to care Economic crime police have been experts”, said Sar Kheng to police of- about competent officers [who do not pay cooperating with tax officers to commit ficials during the inauguration of the for promotion],” Sar Kheng said during a graft, which has contributed to higher new National Police Commissioner ceremony appointing Neth Savoeun as goods prices and inflation, according to Neth Savoeun. Stories related to in- National Police Commissioner to replace Moneaksekar Khmer. stances of corruption that directly af- late Hok Lundy, who died in a helicopter With a continued culture of corrup- fect the Cambodian business world crash, Rasmei Kampuchea wrote. tion, Sar Kheng explained, “only the are this month’s highlight on page 2. Sar Kheng, complaining that some Continued on page 2 ADB FOOD AID distribution PRIVate Hospitals pay POLICE causes countryWIDE TURMOIL FOR accident information The delivering of rice donated by the Asian Development Phnom Penh municipal officials have criticized private hos- (ADB)’s US$ 40 million emergency food-for-poor-people pro- pitals and police officers for conspiracy to make patients pay gram resulted early November in several protests of at least excessive medical bills, newspapers reported November 4. 1,000 people in Cambodia’s southwestern provinces, accus- Municipal Police Chief Touch Naroth said that private am- ing village and commune chiefs of delivering rice only to bulances are quick to come to the scene of an accident as friends, relatives and supporters of the ruling Cambodian police officers inform them through police radio scanners, in People’s Party (CPP), news agencies reported. exchange for “tips”, according to Koh Santepheap. The accusations were backed by local NGOs including Police officers do not demand such money, but private am- human rights group Licadho and the Cambodian Center for bulances themselves volunteer to do so, Naroth insisted, add- Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC). ing that police would cooperate with state ambulances if they “The consequences [of the unfair distributions] bring a would be equipped with police radio scanners instead of the bad image to the Cambodian government because officials telephone network currently used by state ambulances. entrusted with facilitating the distribution of aid commit cor- Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema said that in case of an ruption,” said Licadho investigation officer Chan Savet, WMC accident, some private ambulances take victims with minor FM102 broadcast November 8. injuries to their hospitals where the victims are charged ex- CEDAC President Yang Saing Koma said that due to their orbitantly, while sending victims in critical condition to state time constraints and ability plus political motivation, officials hospitals, Rasmei Kampuchea reported. may have been unable to properly select the targeted needy, Chuktema and Naroth made their statements during a RFA FM105 broadcast November 12. meeting with Health Minister Mam Bun Heng, who announced “[The problems] can be related to their capacity …and the deployment of 19 ambulances in Phnom Penh’s seven dis- their understanding….I think sometimes it is also politically tricts to fasten the transport of patients or those injured in ac- motivated to some degree,” he told RFA. cidents to state hospitals, the newspaper noted. The ADB started to distribute rice in the first week of No- The minister also warned that private ambulances will be Continued on page 3 prohibited from operations in the future. No.13 • December 2008 Corruption Monitor Corruption & BUSINESS ing of the cities green parks after the governor Phan Chanthol. The deputy *Villagers in Kampong Chhnang millions of visitors have left again. governor referred the question to a pro- province complained recently to report- *Finance Minister Keat Chhon called vincial official, Ma Sarim, who claimed ers that provincial police had deployed the refusal by two giant international oil that the provincial hall had never issued forces to anarchically extort money from companies, CALTEX and TOTAL, to re- any order to form such a special com- merchants carrying their goods on mo- duce their gasoline prices, a psychologi- mittee. torcycles along National Road No.5. The cal war with consumers, accusing the two * A border pass near Holiday Palace residents alleged that police officials companies of keeping prices artificially Casino in Banteay Meanchey province is imposed hefty fines on owners of motors high, VOD reported November 3. Other becoming a transit point for smuggled without number plates, enforcing laws gasoline stations operating in Cambodia gasoline, meat, living animals and other ‘coming from their own mouths’. The including TELA and SOKIMEX did follow expensive commodities from Thailand fines ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 riel the ministry’s request to lower prices. to Cambodia, Rasmei Kampuchea re- [about US$5], affecting the livelihood VOD reported furthermore that Rong ported November 18. Illegal merchants of poor villagers who sometimes have Chhun, president of the Cambodian In- reportedly paid bribes to border police been detained when lacking money to dependent Teachers’ Association (CITA), officials stationed at units No.918 and pay the greedy police officials, Rasmei planned a mass demonstration against 911. A source said that the border pass Kampuchea reported November 6. the high gasoline prices. According to was controlled by a police chief identi- *Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Rong Chhun corrupt government offi- fied as Nop Mab, who is the subordinate Kep Chuktema is enraged over the cials collaborate with oil companies to of a police chief at Unit No.918. small incomes so far collected for lease keep prices at the pump high. * During a recent exclusive inter- of locations by companies selling and *An anonymous source alleged that view with Rasmei Kampuchea Novem- advertising their products during the Prey Veng provincial authorities had set ber 13, World Bank Director Ian Porter upcoming Water Festival, a municipal up a special ‘economic committee’ com- said the WB found it difficult to talk to official told on the condition of anonym- prising of police and military police offi- the Cambodian government about ity, Rasmei Kampuchea reported No- cials to extort money worth US$180,000 measures to reduce risks on projects fi- vember 7. Another source said that one to 200,000 from Vietnamese merchants nancially supported by the WB. Porter’s company paid up to US$10,000 to the buying rice in Cambodia, Rasmei Kam- remarks came after the WB managed to municipal official designated to collect puchea reported November 14. The il- collect some evidence indicating that money from businesses with stands. legal ‘economic committee’ has been embezzlement and corruption were in- The newspaper suggests in its report operational for three years, but the volved in signed contracts with the gov- that if the payments for location lease are Cambodian government has not been ernment. However, Porter claimed that controlled transparently and effectively, informed about this. Asked about the is- all efforts of the WB are made to guaran- the municipality might be able to cover sue, Prey Veng provincial governor Ung tee that WB’s projects will benefit devel- the annual restoration and re-beautify- Samy referred the question to deputy opment in Cambodia. Continued from page 1: SAR KHENG EX-deputy PM taiWan arrested for corruption prime minister [and] the interior minis- A former deputy prime minister and a money laundering case against Former ter will be cursed, and our police will senior member of Taiwan’s opposition Dem- Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, in lose dignity,” the newspaper reported.