The Ministry of Commerce Corruption,Tep Bopha Rules: Opinion by Kok Sap

Cham Prasidh and his wife, the powerful Lok Chumteav Tep Bopha Prasidh

24/3/2010
Opinion by Kok Sap
Originally posted at http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com

Old saying,” sleep with dog get fleas,” so as we see as it happened in the Ministry of Commerce that affirmed Shakespeare famous line”to be or not to be”. Family ties are the essence to grow rich in Cambodia systematic nepotic and despotic government. It appears true as Global Witness has reported Cambodia Family Tree seems getting stronger and bigger than before in the business to sell Cambodia for profits.

We remember on 15 March 2005 when Dr. Cham Prasidh (at birth as Hong You Tekleng and Prasidh was given to him by Yuon bo doi), was miffed with Hun Sen inability to stop corruption by entrusting the corruptive Sok An to draft the laws. He threatened and vowed to quit at the end of 2005 if corruption was unresolved but Tep Bopha, the man-eater tigress, would not allow him to do so. In the end he had not followed her order to stay in the job but to become the nouveau filthy rich in a flash.

In the last five years as a Sino descent, Prasidh is no dummy. Not only he adapts to systematic corruption but becomes Sok An relative through their children marriage. So often he accompanies Hun Sen in trips abroad. Now he is not only unscrupulous but enjoying the privilege tremendously to be in the same sacred Sok An-Hun Sen circle of big fat Gau Prey.

It’s been said about Cambodia present political clique; if the husband were a captain then the wife must be a colonel. It appears relevant in Prasidh case, the multi-millionaire and senior Minister of Commerce. He may be the minister on the book but the real decision maker and powerhouse in all daily affairs at the ministry is Madame Tep Bopha. She’s the minister’s former elder sister-in-law but turned official wife when his brother died. She’s known as the tigress of Cham Chao fortress. Her protégé and confidante is Ms. Cham Nimul, a US business degree holder, with the master key to her papa secret safe, appointment schedule and important dossiers. Her official job is the director of her papa cabinet. But literally speaking, she is the designated minister who runs the ministry and answers to none below her papa. How nice for Prasidh to have his wife and daughter run and look after his business in the ministry.

Man-eater Tep Bopha is a control freak and overbearing boss. She can order around any staff from the ministry to run her errands or personal businesses on state time. Those who satisfied her insatiable desire and power hunger would be elevated through rank in office that the person never had to show up at work but at Cham Chao fortress, instead. She lives lavishly off her acquired wealth from obscure sources. Her luxurious multimillion dollar compound is wired and equipped with short circuit cameras in every conspicuous corner. She runs her servants via intercom. Besides her sizeable expensive automobile fleet, she wears expensive exquisite jewelries and outfits that made former Queen Monique unnoticeable.

In 2007 when I visited Wat Chompous Kha-aek near Phnom Penh, I heard the story that Tep Bopha had mistakenly tossed her over $20,000 diamond ring in the trashes. She was crying her eyes out all day. So Prasidh asked around if was there any holy monk practicing Hindu-ayurvedic mantra and fortune telling. He frantically went to see a Yuon mixed monk living at Wat Chompous Kha-aek.
By luck, the monk was innocently saying she should look at her trashes first before declared permanent loss. After she found her ring, she dispatched the young monk to visit and give her holy water bath plus magical love potion to keep Prasidh in a short leash.

Monk received handsomely financial reward and become her regular visitor at the fortress. Soon after that,the Young monk aged barely 25 was elevated to the title of Somdech Vanaradh is equally as the provincial level religious sect chief. Many of foxy ladies in Phnom Penh including Annie Sok An and Bun Rany followed suit and became this holy man loyal worshippers too.

With enormous wealth at disposal, the subordinates and officials treat the tigress Tep Bopha as equal as to Hun Sen’s wife. She shops at top designer boutiques in Phnom Penh or in Singapore. Her escorts are members of ministry staff whom she personally assigned and selected to be her daily errand maids. She frequents the expensive super market in Phnom Penh for groceries and house-needs.

From times to times, the tigress Tep Bopha appears at the public ceremonies or inauguration in Prasidh place. She is vested power to sign deals with foreign investors. She owns special economic zones and special businesses that she needs no salary from her husband payroll. Interestingly, this man-eater has not only pawed her way to the prominence but has steadily gained her social notoriety. She has secured her husband job which will soon pass it down to her daughter in one of these days.

This may be the reason that Prasidh no longer criticizes Sok An not to mention Hun Sen. If not soon but down in the line, the 30 or so old time ministers will end up sharing blood line with Hun Sen or Sok An in one way to the other. Through associative and distributive relations: Sok An’s wife is related to Hun Sen’s wife through marriage so is Tep Bopha’s kid; henceforth, if Sok An related to Hun Sen through his kid relations therefore the same goes for Prasidh whose kid is related to Sok An by CPP tradition. The same connector will make Hun Sen a relative to Prasidh as well. This is the way CPP elites stick to powerful posts by exploiting their own kid emotional and relationship growth.