Ministry’s ‘massive graft’

Friday, 15 July 2011
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

MINISTER of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon has requested that the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation repay an estimated US$5.5 million it paid to “ghost officials” and used in “irregular expenses”.

In a letter, sent to Social Affairs Minister Ith Sam Heng on July 5 and obtained by The Post yesterday, Keat Chhon asked that about 22 billion riels of irregular spending is repaid to the state – following an investigation by the government’s Anticorruption Unit in cooperation with the 24 provincial social affairs departments. “Please advise the expert [financial] department to offer detailed numbers of the ghost officials, irregularity of purchasing … which individual social departments confessed to the ACU,” Chhon wrote.

The repayment, the letter states, can be taken from the 2011 ministry budget – which is estimated at $62.8 million.

The move follows revelations made by Prime Minster Hun Sen late last month that the ACU had completed a graft investigation at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Corruption: Groups urge citizens to report graft

Thursday, 10 December 2009
Khuon Leakhana and Sen David
The Phnom Penh Post

THE freedom of citizens to report corruption is crucial if Cambodia is to tackle its graft problem, advocates said Wednesday during a celebration of International Anticorruption Day, adding that draft anticorruption legislation that comes before the Council of Ministers on Friday should be immediately approved as a sign of the government’s will to combat the problem. Cambodia is perceived as one of the world’s most graft-plagued countries, according to the German group Transparency International, which this year ranked the Kingdom 158 out of 180 nations polled. “It is better than last year, but it is not enough. The government should approve the draft anticorruption law as soon as possible,” said Chea Vannath, an independent analyst. Corruption is a daily issue, said Mom Sitha, executive director of the Cambodia Independent Anti-Corruption Committee. “Even our children know corruption,” Mom Sitha said. However, Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, brushed aside references to corruption, accusing some NGOs of also being corrupt.

Cambodian journalists urged to join fight against corruption [-Will pro-CPP newspaper dare expose CPP corruption all the way to the top?]

Tue, 23 Oct 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's most powerful journalism organisation has weighed into the battle against the country's endemic corruption, urging journalists to expose graft and announcing large cash prizes in a statement published Tuesday. Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) president Pen Samitthy published details of the competition in the country's largest selling Khmer-language daily, Rasmei Kampuchea. Samitthy is also the editor-in-chief of that newspaper.

"To effectively fight against corruption, we need the support of the media," Samitty wrote in his prologue. "Please, all journalists, expose corruption. We must all respond, not just the government."

He also called on the Cambodian National Assembly and the international community to support local journalists who dared to root out corruption at all levels of society.

A first prize of 1,100 dollars plus a trophy were on offer for the best anti-corruption investigative journalism piece, and all stories must be submitted anonymously, Samitthy wrote.

The CCJ boasts more than a thousand members and receives support from the US embassy and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation amongst others. Rasmei Kampuchea is viewed as being close to the ruling Cambodian People's Party by media analysts.

Cambodia was ranked at 162 out of 180 countries by Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in its recently released 2007 index. Rampant graft has been blamed for the country's failure to attract more much-needed foreign direct investment.