Phnom Penh municipal court has issued an arrest warrant for the deputy chief of the municipal police commissions for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for warning brothel owners of impending raids, officials said yesterday.

Municipal court investigating judge Phou Povsun said that he had issued an arrest warrant for Iem Rattana, who is also the former chief of the municipal anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police, after he did not appear in court for questioning.

“I decided to issue the arrest warrant because he did not come to explain in court, although the court summoned him three times,” he said.

He added that a brothel owner in the capital who was arrested by anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police informed the court in June that Iem Rattana and another brothel owner had accepted US$1,200 per month from him in exchange for protection against raids.

Phou Povsun also said that three officials questioned by the court in February stated that they had received US$200 from Iem Rattana to report to him in advance when authorities planned brothel crackdowns.

Iem Rattana could not be reached for comment.

Choun Narin, chief of the municipal criminal police, said that he was yet to receive the arrest warrant for Iem Rattana from the court.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak and National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith could not be reached by the Post for comment yesterday.