Rong Chhun blames the scams on the corruption practice maintained by high-ranking officials (Photo: DR, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)6 Jan 2009
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the article in French
Pho Ouk and Nget Sarith, the principals of the Banteay Ampil and Hun Sen Trapaing Prasat high schools, respectively, recognized that they were cheated in a scam where they lost $100 each. The principal of one of the two high schools in Oddar Meanchey first received a phone call from an imposter posing as the assistant to Ly Somony, the under secretary of state of the ministry of Education. “My caller confirmed to me that I would receive a gold medal to reward me for my work,” Pho Ouk explained. “He gave me the choice of either 2 million riels ($500) or a motorcycle, I chose the motorcycle.” However, the “reward” came with an exchange: the principal must buy phone calling cards of $30, $50, and $20 and send the card numbers to the imposter. “He said that they were for Ly Somony so that he can speed up the process. I believed him,” Pho Ouk admitted.
Ngeth Sarith holds the position of principal for the Hun Sen Trapaing Prasat high school, but his job was not formally recognized by the ministry of Education yet. The same imposter using a hand phone bearing the number 085 232 002 promised him to speed up his case in exchange for $100 bribe that must be sent over through calling card numbers. After paying this scam bribery, Ngeth Sarith noticed that his promotion case did not go anywhere, and he informed the case to the provincial authorities which told him that they do not know anything about his case.
According to Chhoeun Chhea, the official for the administration of the Oddar Meanchey Education department, these types of scams are not new. Other school officials were also victimized by the same scam, and they all lost at least $100 each. “Normally, the nomination of civil servants and the rewards given to them pass through the provincial department, and the relevant authorities have no information in these two cases. This indicates that they are new scam cases,” Chhoeun Chhea added.
When reached over the phone, Ly Somony did not hide his wrath against the two principals who believed him to be a corrupt official. “First of all, I don’t have an assistant who would make phone calls for me. Secondly, the nomination of civil servants and rewarding them is not part of my job,” he reacted.
“My name is often used in similar cases, in Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Kampt and elsewhere. For the past two years, I had sent handwritten warnings to provincial officials so that they spread out this information,” Ly Somony added.
Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), indicated that rewards are given out by the ministry of Education. As for bribe demands, he noted that “if the [corruption] practice did not exist among the high-ranking officials, no one could commit such scams.”
Ngeth Sarith holds the position of principal for the Hun Sen Trapaing Prasat high school, but his job was not formally recognized by the ministry of Education yet. The same imposter using a hand phone bearing the number 085 232 002 promised him to speed up his case in exchange for $100 bribe that must be sent over through calling card numbers. After paying this scam bribery, Ngeth Sarith noticed that his promotion case did not go anywhere, and he informed the case to the provincial authorities which told him that they do not know anything about his case.
According to Chhoeun Chhea, the official for the administration of the Oddar Meanchey Education department, these types of scams are not new. Other school officials were also victimized by the same scam, and they all lost at least $100 each. “Normally, the nomination of civil servants and the rewards given to them pass through the provincial department, and the relevant authorities have no information in these two cases. This indicates that they are new scam cases,” Chhoeun Chhea added.
When reached over the phone, Ly Somony did not hide his wrath against the two principals who believed him to be a corrupt official. “First of all, I don’t have an assistant who would make phone calls for me. Secondly, the nomination of civil servants and rewarding them is not part of my job,” he reacted.
“My name is often used in similar cases, in Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Kampt and elsewhere. For the past two years, I had sent handwritten warnings to provincial officials so that they spread out this information,” Ly Somony added.
Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), indicated that rewards are given out by the ministry of Education. As for bribe demands, he noted that “if the [corruption] practice did not exist among the high-ranking officials, no one could commit such scams.”
7 comments:
The education minister must be sacked.
Nigerian's in PP have found a new way of making money.
Poor guy, only 300-500 got the name as corruption act. How about the top ranking that most corrupted in Cambodia?
No surprise, all scams and scandals came from oversea.
08532 2002 not 085 23 2002
3:17,
Nope! Ah pleur Lop undersea..all crooked and scams, Lands grabbing from poor people, and begging for help from outside...you fucking begger!!
Ah Kompouch Thork cheats his own innocent people. These f… high ranking officers are thieves and create problems in society. They suppose to serve, protect and help people, not running scam biz.
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