Khieu Kanharith: Donor countries may not believe the GW report, even if they still continue to provide funding to Global Witness

Dutch government continues to provide funding to Global Witness

28 June 2007
By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Dutch government continues to provide funding to Global Witness, the environmental protection organization.

An official from the Dutch embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, told The Cambodia Daily that the Dutch government values Global Witness work in its observation and protection of the environment in the world, and that it will continue to provide funding to Global Witness so that it can pursue its work.

The Dutch government’s decision took place after the Cambodian ambassador in London, England, issued a statement on 4 June requesting that all donor countries stop providing funds to Global Witness, because Cambodian officials accused Global Witness for issuing a defamation report about illegal logging in Cambodia involving the families and close business associates of prime minister Hun Sen.

Nevertheless, the Dutch government will not revisit its decision to continue funding Global Witness.

Regarding this type of funding for Global Witness, Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman, said on Wednesday that donor countries may not believe the Global Witness report published at the beginning of June, even though they continue to provide this type of aid (to Global Witness), and he also said that the government of Cambodia is not an enemy of the entire Global Witness organization.

CCHR and VOD receive another blow after Kem Sokha's departure

IRI to cut all aid to CCHR

01 May 2007
By Huy Vannak
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A high-ranking official from the International Republican Institute (IRI) told RFA on Tuesday that IRI decided to cut all the funds it provides to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) at the end of May, and that it will fund the Voice of Democracy (VOD) radio only until September 2007.

IRI’s decision to cut all the funding took place after the departure of Kem Sokha, former CCHR President, to form his own political party, and also after the splitting of CCHR into two institutions: CCHR under the leadership of Ou Virak, and VOD under the leadership of Pa Nguon Tieng.

Regarding this issue, one official indicated that one reason for the end of the funding is because IRI itself is facing a decrease in its own funding. He also indicated that the IRI will review its decision to cut or continue funding the VOD.

Nevertheless, Ou Virak, CCHR President, claimed that his organization still receives a lot support from other aid organizations.

Pa Nguon Tieng, the VOD leader, discussed his strategy to guarantee the continuity of VOD by saying: “The first strategy is to regroup human resources in answer to the various requests made by fund providers. We don’t want to depend on a single funding source, we will expand our funding sources. Our second strategy consists of strengthening our particular strength, because for VOD, our main target is information, and in the past, VOD was successful in providing independent information.”

World Bank Resumes Funding of Suspect Projects

Thursday, February 8, 2007

By Douglas Gillison and Kay Kimsong
THE CAMBODIA DAILY

The World Bank announced Wednesday that it would resume funding for three development projects, with a combined value of mere than $71 million, which it suspended last year following allegations of corruption.

Anti-corruption reforms now being enacted by the government mean the funds can safely be disbursed for the projects, the Bank said in a statement.

The funds were suspended after the Bank revealed in May that it had found evidence of systematic corruption in seven projects. Three of the projects were ongoing at the time and had their funding suspended, while four had already finished.

The three projects to receive resumed funding are the Ministry of Land Management's $28.83-million Land Management and Administration project; the $21.18-million provincial and rural infrastructure project administered by the Rural Development and Public Works Ministries; and $21.8-million provincial and peri-urban water and sanitation project run by the Ministry of Industry.

In June, the Bank found that mis-procurement amounting to $8.3 million had occurred in 30 contracts tendered under the three projects, a Bank spokesman said Wednesday.

"World Bank funds will not be used to finance these contracts," he wrote in an e-mail.

The World Bank also announced in June that it would seek repayment of an undetermined amount of funds disbursed to 13 other contracts in the four completed projects where problems were also found.

The amount to be repaid is currently under discussion with the government, according to the World Bank spokesman.

Keo Rottanak, cabinet chief to Industry Minister Suy Sem, said the World Bank made its decision to resume funding some time ago after Cambodia had met the Bank's demands.

"We have accomplished what the World Bank has requested," he said.

According to Wednesday's statement, Cambodia is establishing "good governance frameworks" for all Bank-financed projects, including measures to strengthen contract tendering processes and regulate staff conduct.

A "key measure" is the delegation of "an independent international firm" in contract procurement, the Bank said.

Keo Rottanak said he could not recall the name of the international firm but that one has been chosen.

"We have met all the World Bank's needs for a long time now," he said. "It was very easy to meet the World Bank's requirements because they are not new."

Rural Development Ministry Secretary of State Ly Pros welcomed the news that the funds will be resumed.

"The suspension should be lifted," he said. "We have been working very hard in order to avoid any possible mistakes since the problems were raised by the World Bank."

SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann also welcomed the Bank's decision but lamented the fact that legal action has been brought against only one person in the multi-million-dollar, multi-ministry scandal.

"This is the culture of impunity. We struggle to eliminate it from Cambodian society," Yim Sovann said.

"The government has to do more about corruption in the implementation of World Bank-funded projects," he said.

Yin Wenga, a defense attorney for former Rural Development Ministry project manager Mour Kimsan, a Funcinpec official who was charged with embezzling $800,000, said his client remains free after being released on bail in December. Charges against Mour Kimsan have not been dropped, he said.

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the Bank's decision will help restore Cambodia's good name.

"The new decision made by the World Bank today will recover Cambodia's reputation," he said, adding that only one person has faced legal action because the World Bank provided little evidence to substantiate its charges.

World Bank lifts suspension of funding for projects in Cambodia

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia
The World Bank said Wednesday it will resume disbursing money for three development projects in Cambodia after suspending aid last year due to alleged corrupt practices.

In a news release Wednesday, the World Bank said it decided to lift the suspensions after it had reached agreement with the government on frameworks for improving implementation of the projects, which dealt with land management and administration, provincial and rural infrastructure, and provincial and suburban water supply and sanitation.

In June last year, the bank froze US$7.6 million (€5.8 million) in funding for the projects, saying it had discovered evidence of fraud and corruption in the procurement process.

The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen angrily denied the allegations, saying there was no proof of wrongdoing.

"Implementation of these frameworks should reduce the fiduciary risks associated with World Bank financed projects and ensure that the funds are being used for their intended purposes," Ian Porter, the bank's country director for Cambodia, was quoted saying in the bank's statement.

It added that the government is also establishing anti-corruption action plans for all World Bank financed projects.

They include measures to strengthen procurement procedures, financial management processes, staff conduct, complaint mechanisms and disclosure and internal controls. One of the key measures is the delegation of procurement for World Bank-financed projects to an independent international firm, the statement said.

Khieu Kanharith, the chief government spokesman, could not be immediately reached for comment.