By Saing Soenthrith
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Two government officials arrested for stealing around $800,000 earmarked for the families of deceased soldiers have been charged at the Military Court, an official said Wednesday.
Kroeng Vanna, a RCAF captain, was charged with theft Tuesday, and his brother-in-law Khim Bic, a customs officer at the Poipet border checkpoint was charged with complicity in theft, said Prumh Somthon, the court's chief prosecutor.
Border police apprehended the pair Friday evening while they were trying to enter Thailand, according to Roth Sreng, Banteay Meanchey provincial military police chief.
Touch Vannarith, payroll chief of the national sub-commission for deceased soldiers, who was also arrested Friday for allegedly colluding with the two men, has not been charged as he is still under investigation, said Nou Samedy, an investigating judge at the court.
"We charged only two men because this case just arrived in our hands," he said.
National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha said Sunday that $575,000 of the $800,000 has been recovered from the two men. He added that he is not sure what became of the remaining $225,000.
General Moeng Somphan, director of the Ministry of Defense's budget department said he had no information on the case as the money was taken from the Ministry of Finance.
Ouk Rabun, secretary of state for the Finance Ministry, who is in charge of the budgets for both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense, confirmed this.
He also said that the money for the widows was withdrawn over a long period of time—but not disbursed to recipients—before the officials allegedly tried to leave the country with it.
"The money was withdrawn step by step from the Ministry of Economics and Finance," he said, adding that he could not provide further details.
Kroeng Vanna, a RCAF captain, was charged with theft Tuesday, and his brother-in-law Khim Bic, a customs officer at the Poipet border checkpoint was charged with complicity in theft, said Prumh Somthon, the court's chief prosecutor.
Border police apprehended the pair Friday evening while they were trying to enter Thailand, according to Roth Sreng, Banteay Meanchey provincial military police chief.
Touch Vannarith, payroll chief of the national sub-commission for deceased soldiers, who was also arrested Friday for allegedly colluding with the two men, has not been charged as he is still under investigation, said Nou Samedy, an investigating judge at the court.
"We charged only two men because this case just arrived in our hands," he said.
National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha said Sunday that $575,000 of the $800,000 has been recovered from the two men. He added that he is not sure what became of the remaining $225,000.
General Moeng Somphan, director of the Ministry of Defense's budget department said he had no information on the case as the money was taken from the Ministry of Finance.
Ouk Rabun, secretary of state for the Finance Ministry, who is in charge of the budgets for both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense, confirmed this.
He also said that the money for the widows was withdrawn over a long period of time—but not disbursed to recipients—before the officials allegedly tried to leave the country with it.
"The money was withdrawn step by step from the Ministry of Economics and Finance," he said, adding that he could not provide further details.
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