Several more prison chiefs have been promoted amid a reshuffle in the sector, an official announced yesterday.

The moves will see Keo Non, deputy director of Trapang Plong Prison (M3) in Tbong Khmum province, take the reins at Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison, whose current chief, Phin Yan, will become head of Trapang Plong.

Yan replaces Kea Sovanna, who has been promoted to deputy director of the General Department of Prisons’ operations department.

Meanwhile, Brach Sophy, deputy director of Prey Sar prison, will become deputy director of Correctional Center 4, a prison farm in Pursat province, where a recent Post investigation showed that inmates are used as free labour, the profits from which are funnelled to officials.

Taking Sophy’s place will be Phat Leng, now deputy director of the Prey Sar operations office.

The shake-up, approved on December 2, will be carried out before the end of the year, according to Sorn Keo, spokesman of the General Department of Prisons, who announced the appointments yesterday.

The reshuffling was not related to recent frustrations expressed by Prime Minister Hun Sen over the pardoning of violent criminals, he said. “The swapping of positions and responsibilities ... is normal and it is usually done within institutions . . . to improve efficiency,” Keo said.

Yesterday, in a ceremony at Phnom Penh Municipal Hall, Hou Puthvisal, director of Phnom Penh’s Police Judiciary (PJ) prison, was replaced by Pich Chorn, a former transportation department deputy director.

Puthvisal will now work as a deputy chief at the prisons department.