The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) published a letter on Friday carrying the denial of Eng Eliyan, head of statistics for Phnom Penh Municipal Police, over anonymous allegations of corruptions levelled at him.

Eliyan had been accused of taking the salary of two staff no longer working at the office and of demanding $100 from anyone wishing to correct or add names to their family book. Eliyan said yesterday that he only ever charged the 10,000 ($2.50) mandated by law for updating entries in a family book.

“The office never demanded money from citizens. Since June 2015, any correction to a family book required 10,000 riel be paid to the state, but for adding newborn children to the book, there is no need to pay,” Eliyan said.

Eliyan also claimed the accusation that he withheld the salaries of Sy Thuon and Lim Vichea – neither of whom could be reached yesterday – was baseless.

“The National Police have received their salary through ATMs for a long time now. I never touched their salary. I don’t understand why they accused me. But this is normal, even the Buddha is hated by someone,” he said.

“I’m a normal person, so 100 per cent of people are not going to like me. And the accusation was made anonymously. It’s like we are in the bright place and they are in the dark place.”