By Kay Kimsong
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
SRP lawmaker Son Chhay has called for a wide-scale Interior Ministry investigation into the alleged sale of Cambodian passports to foreigners.
This comes despite a statement from Interior Minister Sar Kheng that two passports Son Chhay had claimed were illegally issued by the Phnom Penh Passport Office to foreigners were in fact forgeries.
Son Chhay claimed Friday that the passport office, which is run by the Interior Ministry, has been selling passports to foreigners since 2000 for between $2,000 and $5,000 each. Most of the buyers are Chinese, he said.
"It is dangerous for Cambodia," he said. "They may use a Cambodian passport to commit a crime or to open a Cambodian bank account for money laundering."
On Oct 27, Son Chhay submitted photocopies to the Interior Ministry of two passports he claimed had been illegally issued to Chinese nationals.
But in a letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin and provided by Son Chhay on Friday, Sar Kheng said the passports had been issued legitimately to two Cambodians in 2002.
After they expired, Sar Kheng said, an unidentified "offender" switched the photos and altered information on the passports, converting them into other names.
Heng Samrin said he has not seen Sar Kheng's letter, which is dated Dec 22, but that if forged passports are being issued, they will damage the country's reputation.
National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy, whose signature appears on all Cambodian passports, referred questions to Sar Kheng.
Tep Sovann, deputy chief of administration at the Phnom Penh Passport Office, said the office has never issued a passport to a foreigner who has not been formally granted Cambodian citizenship.
"Everyone comes over to the passport department for interview and photographs for their passports, but we don't know what happens after they get the passport from us," he said.
In March 2001, the Interior Ministry broke a sophisticated forgery operation in Phnom Penh that was responsible for an estimated 100 people bearing fake Cambodian passports entering the US on valid visas.
This comes despite a statement from Interior Minister Sar Kheng that two passports Son Chhay had claimed were illegally issued by the Phnom Penh Passport Office to foreigners were in fact forgeries.
Son Chhay claimed Friday that the passport office, which is run by the Interior Ministry, has been selling passports to foreigners since 2000 for between $2,000 and $5,000 each. Most of the buyers are Chinese, he said.
"It is dangerous for Cambodia," he said. "They may use a Cambodian passport to commit a crime or to open a Cambodian bank account for money laundering."
On Oct 27, Son Chhay submitted photocopies to the Interior Ministry of two passports he claimed had been illegally issued to Chinese nationals.
But in a letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin and provided by Son Chhay on Friday, Sar Kheng said the passports had been issued legitimately to two Cambodians in 2002.
After they expired, Sar Kheng said, an unidentified "offender" switched the photos and altered information on the passports, converting them into other names.
Heng Samrin said he has not seen Sar Kheng's letter, which is dated Dec 22, but that if forged passports are being issued, they will damage the country's reputation.
National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy, whose signature appears on all Cambodian passports, referred questions to Sar Kheng.
Tep Sovann, deputy chief of administration at the Phnom Penh Passport Office, said the office has never issued a passport to a foreigner who has not been formally granted Cambodian citizenship.
"Everyone comes over to the passport department for interview and photographs for their passports, but we don't know what happens after they get the passport from us," he said.
In March 2001, the Interior Ministry broke a sophisticated forgery operation in Phnom Penh that was responsible for an estimated 100 people bearing fake Cambodian passports entering the US on valid visas.
6 comments:
This is a fucken terrorist in the making!!!
Yeah, and they are ready for you, Psyc.
If the passport was signed by Hok Lundy then, please do not blame all the small staffs. Hok Lundy has all the gangs working for him directly. He can sell those passports from his home without letting his staffs to know that. I heard that Hok Lundy has made US$ 5000 a day selling these passport!!!!
It is not surprising news. Money can buy just about anything in Cambodia.
To 2:10 AM
Fuck you motherfucker! Your fucken ass will be blown up first!
Nope, bette save for you mother's
arse.
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