Ambassador Pius Fischer of Germany (Photo German Embassy in Phnom Penh)Thursday, June 15, 2006
By Kay Kimsong
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The World Bank's allegations of corruption were hotly debated at the quarterly Government Donor Coordinating Committee meeting Wednesday, with several ministers repeating government statements that the Bank had failed to provide definitive evidence of wrongdoing.
The heated discussion toward the end of the event at the Council for the Development for Cambodia, which is held to monitor progress toward benchmarks agreed upon at the annual Consultative Group donor meetings, was triggered by German Ambassador Pius Fischer.
Fischer asked government representatives whether Cambodia would hold anyone to account for (he alleged misuse of funds in seven projects revealed by the World Bank last month.
"It is a tragedy that the ministers of those ministries said they are not aware of the scandal and are not responsible," Fischer said.
"The officials who are involved with the scandal should not only pay back but must be held responsible," he said.
Fischer added that the suspended projects were needed by the Cambodian people, and that if Cambodia did not thoroughly investigate and punish those found responsible, its reputation would be damaged.
He also asked representatives from ministries targeted in the allegations of fraud whether a proper investigation would be conducted.
The World Bank presented the government with the results of its investigation into the projects on June 6 and announced that it was seeking repayment from the government of $7.6 million due to misprocurement in 30 contracts in three projects worth $68.4 million.
Finance Minister Keat Chhon took issue with Fischer's use of the word "scandal."
"The way Germany calls the case a scandal makes it look like the five ministers of the five ministries are too ugly and not clean," he said.
He also accused the World Bank of providing inadequate evidence of corruption, and claimed that it had notified the media about the affair before informing the government.
"We have received only two to three pages of reports from the World Bank on the issue of the scandal," he said.
"The World Bank should come to the government first before going to the public media," he added. "If we do not do our job, then the World Bank can go to the media."
Minister of Transport Sun Chanthol, whose ministry has been named in the World Bank probe, also criticized the World Bank, claiming it had made the allegations without giving the government time to defend itself.
"If the World Bank found any wrongdoing, the World Bank should write to the government first and call for an investigation," he said. "If you want to charge anyone with wrongdoing, you have to give a chance to them to defend themselves."
He added that the Bank had a duty to present the government with detailed evidence. "I am waiting to see concrete evidence shown by the World Bank," he said. "The World Bank should end the releasing of reports without evidence to the public."
Ministry of Agriculture Secretary of State Chan Tong Yves, whose ministry is also implicated, said the Bank's findings had caused a crisis, but said there could be a positive side to the scandal.
"We can turn the case to be a chance to build understanding by working together to find out the truth," he said.
He noted that the Ministry of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection had been ordered to probe the allegations.
"We urge there to be an investigation aimed to find out the truth and punish the corrupt criminals," he said.
Aside from the Bank scandal, much of the meeting focused on plans to strengthen regulations ranging from the control of the budget to the new law on domestic violence.
Robert Taliercio, senior country economist at the World Bank, said the Bank planned to work with the government in investigating the projects where problems have been identified.
"We are waiting to work with the Cambodian government" he said.
He also said that the Bank had not released its investigative report on the scandal to the media.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
The heated discussion toward the end of the event at the Council for the Development for Cambodia, which is held to monitor progress toward benchmarks agreed upon at the annual Consultative Group donor meetings, was triggered by German Ambassador Pius Fischer.
Fischer asked government representatives whether Cambodia would hold anyone to account for (he alleged misuse of funds in seven projects revealed by the World Bank last month.
"It is a tragedy that the ministers of those ministries said they are not aware of the scandal and are not responsible," Fischer said.
"The officials who are involved with the scandal should not only pay back but must be held responsible," he said.
Fischer added that the suspended projects were needed by the Cambodian people, and that if Cambodia did not thoroughly investigate and punish those found responsible, its reputation would be damaged.
He also asked representatives from ministries targeted in the allegations of fraud whether a proper investigation would be conducted.
The World Bank presented the government with the results of its investigation into the projects on June 6 and announced that it was seeking repayment from the government of $7.6 million due to misprocurement in 30 contracts in three projects worth $68.4 million.
Finance Minister Keat Chhon took issue with Fischer's use of the word "scandal."
"The way Germany calls the case a scandal makes it look like the five ministers of the five ministries are too ugly and not clean," he said.
He also accused the World Bank of providing inadequate evidence of corruption, and claimed that it had notified the media about the affair before informing the government.
"We have received only two to three pages of reports from the World Bank on the issue of the scandal," he said.
"The World Bank should come to the government first before going to the public media," he added. "If we do not do our job, then the World Bank can go to the media."
Minister of Transport Sun Chanthol, whose ministry has been named in the World Bank probe, also criticized the World Bank, claiming it had made the allegations without giving the government time to defend itself.
"If the World Bank found any wrongdoing, the World Bank should write to the government first and call for an investigation," he said. "If you want to charge anyone with wrongdoing, you have to give a chance to them to defend themselves."
He added that the Bank had a duty to present the government with detailed evidence. "I am waiting to see concrete evidence shown by the World Bank," he said. "The World Bank should end the releasing of reports without evidence to the public."
Ministry of Agriculture Secretary of State Chan Tong Yves, whose ministry is also implicated, said the Bank's findings had caused a crisis, but said there could be a positive side to the scandal.
"We can turn the case to be a chance to build understanding by working together to find out the truth," he said.
He noted that the Ministry of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection had been ordered to probe the allegations.
"We urge there to be an investigation aimed to find out the truth and punish the corrupt criminals," he said.
Aside from the Bank scandal, much of the meeting focused on plans to strengthen regulations ranging from the control of the budget to the new law on domestic violence.
Robert Taliercio, senior country economist at the World Bank, said the Bank planned to work with the government in investigating the projects where problems have been identified.
"We are waiting to work with the Cambodian government" he said.
He also said that the Bank had not released its investigative report on the scandal to the media.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
3 comments:
To: Ambassador Pius Fischer
You have listen to these S.O.B. long enough and it is time for them to have it! Beside all these S.O.B were given a chance to come clean many times and many time they fuck it up! Ambassador you can't change their evil way overnight and it had been as business as usual for over 30years!
Oh by the way, Please don't make Cambodian people pay for these S.O.B mistake! These S.O.B will have to pay for their stupidity and dig themselves out of this black hole!
Ambassador Fischer,
You have hit the nail on the head. You see now they are scared. They are trying to discredit you from punishing them. They know they did wrong and hope you don't have evidence against them. You and professor Ghai had struck the nerve and now they are on the defend. The crooks (governments) never had good intention for Cambodia society.
Dear ambassador'
Stop giving aid to Cambodia, please?
Your aid will just go to the pockets of these brigands government and never to the poor peasants.
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