A deputy commune police chief in Sen Sok district has been suspended from duty after it was found he was taking bribes from illegal businesses in exchange for allowing them to operate freely, police said yesterday.

Penal police officer Ly Kimsreng said that Pen Bunthoeun, deputy police chief of Khmuonh commune, was suspended by Chuon Sovann, municipal police chief lieutenant general, as of August 10.

“He was accused by villagers, and reported to the chief of Phnom Penh Municipal Police for receiving bribes from owners of gambling parlours, lotteries and cockfighting rings,” Kimsreng said.

“That’s why there were so many offenses like robberies, stealing [and] snatchings happening and not being cracked down on in that commune.”

“He got an administrative penalty, and he is now being suspended temporarily from his work,” he added.

Bunthoeun could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Am Sam Ath, senior technical supervisor for the rights group Licadho, said that such bribes are commonplace nationwide, and encouraged authorities to come down on officials caught accepting them.