Duo tried over bribe to anti-drug police officer

 

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea 

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on October 4, 2022  began the trial of a woman and her younger brother, who was arrested for drug trafficking, both of were charged over the offering of $100,000 in bribes to secure his release from detention. 

Presiding Judge Khun Sona named the accused as Pon Rany, 49, a former health officer living in Kampong Speu province’s Samrong Tong district and Pon Chetra, 36, a former soldier. 

Judge Sona said Rany was charged with “Proffering of Bribes” and Chetra “Initiating in Proffering of Bribes” under the Articles 28 and 605 of the Criminal Code and Article 32 of the Law on Anti-Corruption. 

If convicted, they face punishment of from five to 10 years in prison each. 

Judge Sona said that on April 27 and 28, police in the anti-drug department in the Ministry of Interior arrested six suspects, including Chetra, for involvement with drug trafficking and illegal use of weapons in Takeo province’s Ang Tasom district. 

He said that police also seized more than 150 grammes of ice and two pistols and sent the suspects for detention and questioning at the Anti-Drug Department in the Ministry of Interior in Phnom Penh.  

Judge Sona noted that while Chetra was temporarily detained in the Ministry of Interior, he borrowed a police officer’s mobile phone, telephoned his elder sister Rany and alerted her about his arrest.  

He said Chetra asked Rany to find $100,000 in order to bribe the police in exchange for his release from detention. 

Judge Sona said that Rany was later arrested on May 1 by the ACU officials in cooperation with the anti-drug police. 

At yesterday’s hearing, Chetra confessed that a day after his arrest on April 28, an anti-police officer contacted him and demanded $100,000 in exchange for his release from the detention.

He told the court that he later borrowed the police officer’s phone, telephoned Rany and told her to find $100,000 to pay the police. 

“At that time, I telephoned to my older sister to find the money for me because I was told by the police officer who had arrested and interrogated me that I would be released from detention if I had $100,000 to give it to the police,” Chetra said. “But I was not aware that it was illegal or violated the laws.” 

Rany told the court that after she was told by Chetra and the anti-drug police officer named Colonel Chea Chamrong to pay $100,000 for Chetra’s release, she tried to borrow the money from many of her friends but was not successful.

She said that she traveled to meet with Col. Chamrong at the Anti-Drug Department in the Ministry of Interior three times to seek more time to obtain the amount that was demanded. 

Rany told the court that she finally decided to use her land title as collateral for a $100,000 loan (with 5% monthly rate) from a money lender living in Samrong Tong district.  

She said that after receiving the money, she later took it to give it to Col Chamrong directly at his room in the Ministry of Interior and was arrested immediately after she did so. 

A verdict is due on October 11.