An Oddar Meanchey director of education is denying a complaint filed to the Ministry of Education alleging he took school supplies from a public school for use in a private school and pocketed salaries of teachers who no longer worked there.

In a letter dated Monday, the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association complained to newly appointed Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron that Anlong Veng district director of education Nhean Torn used materials from a district public school in the nearby private Ponleu Vichea School, which he runs.

“Tables and chairs were taken from the state school,” said Moa Mean, a teacher at Hun Sen Anlong Veng Primary School who, with the CITA, made the complaint against Torn.

The complaint also alleges that Torn has kept teachers who have resigned from the public school on the payroll, pocketing their salaries.

Torn yesterday said that the director of Hun Sen Anlong Veng Primary School gave him permission to use the tables and chairs, but added he would return them today.

He attributed Mean’s accusations of corruption to jealousy stemming from the success of Torn’s private school, which has more than doubled in size since Mean – a co-founder – withdrew his investment.

Chuon Naron said the ministry will “pursue charges if we find out that Nhean Torn has committed the acts”.