Anti-Corruption Unit president Om Yentieng has accused Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Chea Poch of violating anti-corruption law by preventing four party officials appearing for questioning at the ACU, but yesterday one of the four denied this claim, saying he had not appeared for his own reasons.

In a letter to Poch dated January 30, Yentieng complained the ACU had asked the four officials to testify on January 21, after they told media ACU district officials had demanded 10,000-riel bribes to stamp asset declarations, but Poch told them not to testify because he would “handle the thing for them”.

By preventing the questioning of Chhouk district council members Pen Suyrita and Nut Pech, Chumkiri district council member Sin Tun and Chumkiri’s Trapaing Reang deputy commune chief Huy Khen, Poch had obstructed the ACU’s work and violated anti-corruption law, Yentieng wrote.

“Be warned in public that His Excellency Chea Poch immediately has to stop obstructing [the investigation], and if the ACU finds this action again, we will take legal action,” the letter states.

Under anti-corruption law, an official interfering in the ACU’s internal affairs could be imprisoned from two to five years and fined between four million and 10 million riel.

Suyrita, one of the officials named in the letter, told the Post he had made his own decision not to appear.

 

To contact the reporter on this story: Chhay Channyda at [email protected]