KHMER TIMES, CAMBODIA – The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) arrested three Takeo provincial officials for abuse of power and misconduct and sent them to court on Thursday.
“ACU transferred a case involving three suspects to the Takeo Provincial Court after the unit arrested them on November 5, 2024,” ACU spokesman Soy Chanvichet said yesterday.
Chanvichet said that the accused Heng Vuthy, 45, Director of the Planning and Investment of Takeo province, and Mam Vichet, Deputy Chief of Local Support Office of Takeo province, 39, are suspected of abusing power and irregularities in public administration procedures, as well as money laundering, which took place from 2017 to 2023.
Yun Sothon, 49, a Local Support Office official in Takeo province, is also a suspect in crimes related to abuse of power and irregularities in public administration procedures that occurred between 2022 and 2023.
“The ACU gathered information and received complaints, and after conducting an investigation, the unit obtained sufficient evidence to arrest all three individuals on November 5,” he added.
He said that the three individuals are in custody and are at the investigation stage of the judicial process.
Chanvichet said that the ACU implements three key measures in its fight against corruption: Educational measures, preventive measures to ensure that corruption does not occur, and enforcement of the law through crackdown efforts. The measures aim to deter individuals from engaging in corrupt activities, as demonstrated in this particular case.
According to the Transparency International Cambodia report, Cambodia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score for last year was 22 out of 100, representing a two-percent decrease compared to 24 in 2022.
Pich Pisey, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, said yesterday that the arrest of the suspects, who are officials from Takeo province, has been welcomed by the public and civil society.
“It is seen as a positive step by the government in addressing corruption, as the authorities continue their investigation into the case,” he said.
