Buth Reaskmey Kongkea 

A former Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officer was yesterday tried by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for allegedly seeking and receiving bribes from complainants to proceed with cases as well as from those complained against to drop investigations.

 Judge Song Bunnarith identified the accused as Touch Tith Vathana, 27, a former officer with the ACU’s International Complaints and Legal Affairs Department.

 Judge Bunnarith said that Tith Vathana was charged with “misappropriation of public funds” under Articles 592 and 593 of the Criminal Code. 

If convicted, he faces a jail term of between two and five years and a fine of $1,000 to $2,500. 

Judge Bunnarith said Vathana was arrested on January 28 by the ACU. 

He said the accused had been tasked to receive, investigate and research complaints and prepare a report for the ACU to take further action. 

He noted that last year, Vathana was suspended from his job because he had used various methods in extorting the money from those who had filed the complaints against corrupt government officials in exchange for taking action.                                            

“While he was suspended, he did not stop his wrongdoing. Although he was no longer responsible for handling the cases, he continued to cheat complainants for his illegal personal gains,” said Judge Bunnarith. “His activities had seriously affected the honour and the reputation of the ACU.” 

According to the court’s documents, the accused took between $500 and $2,000 from the complainants and also from corrupt officials in exchange for not taking action on complaints against them.   

During yesterday's hearing, Vathana, who present in the courtroom, admitted committing the offence. 

He told the court that he took bribes because he was short of money needed to support his family. 

Vathana asked the court to reduce his sentence, suspend it and release him from prison so that he will be able to find a new job and make money to support his family. 

A verdict is due July 14.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laotian gets life for drug trafficking

Image
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has sentenced a Laotian drug trafficker to life imprisonment after the 42-year-old was convicted of trafficking about 7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Presiding Judge Sin Sovannroath said Houa Choua was from Champasak province’s Moeung Khong district, Laos.     “The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has decided to sentence the accused Houa Choua to a life sentence and a fine of 100 million riels,” Judge Sovannroath said in his judgment yesterday.   He said that the accused was charged with “drug possessing, transport and trafficking” under Article 40 of Cambodian Law on Drugs Control and with “money Laundering” under Articles 38 of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Financing.   Judge Sovannroath stated that Houa Choua was arrested by police at a guesthouse in Por Senchey district’s Kakab commune on October 16, 2022, night.  Houa Choua was detained after he had transported the drugs by car from the Cambodia-Lao border in
Read more

Sorn Elit, the Tallest Cambodian Taekwando Champion

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA There are 18 Taekwondo fighters on the national team, according to Hem Samnang, Secretary General of the Cambodian Taekwondo Federation (CTF). He was speaking to The Southeast Asia Weekly on July 22. The Secretary General said that Sorn Elit, 22, is currently the best Taekwondo fighter in Cambodia. He has attended many competitions both at home and abroad and has achieved success in both fields. In 2008, he won the national heavyweight title in the Taekwondo championships. “I am very proud of Sorn Elit as he is the best fighter in Cambodia,” Samnang said. “I believe that he will continue to bring honor to the country, the sport and himself as he competes in still more competitions at home and in the international fighting arena. He is completely committed to his training schedule and is a credit to the sport.” The Secretary General said that to improve Elit’s skills, the CTF sent him to get Taekwondo training in South Korea over two weeks in 2007. The CTF plans
Read more

Chan Tra: Life of a Cambodian Traditional Tattoo Artist

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA Among tattooists in Cambodia, Chan Tra, 46, is the only tattoo artist to retain the ability to ink a wide range of subjects in different styles. His modern counterparts are limited in their repertoire in comparison. His subjects include the human form, birds and abstract patterns. Chan Tra is now an expert in drawing Ankor Wat on the skin of foreign clients, thus turning them into walking, talking promotional materials for Cambodia’s tourist sector. Chan Tra was born in 1963 in Sihanouk province and has two sons and one daughter. He is an orphaned and a Survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. He lost his entire family during the years of terror between 1975 and 1979. “I have loved drawing and painting ever since I was a child and practised my art every day before the arrival of the Pol Pot regime. Consequently, I like the art of tattooing and it makes a solid source of income to keep my wife and kids happy,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly during a personal i
Read more