The corruption and bribery case against two senior government officials from Preah Vihear moved up a gear yesterday, with the suspects sent to Preah Vihear Provincial Court, Anti-Corruption Unit chief Om Yentieng confirmed.

The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) had been investigating the two officials, Preah Vihear deputy prosecutor Thol Kem Hong and provincial taxation office boss Chea Sophal, for more than a year, Yentieng said.

“I am on my way, driving them to the Preah Vihear Provincial Court,” Yentieng said by telephone yesterday.

The arrests are only the third and fourth made by the ACU since its inception in 2010 as part of a bid to stamp out rampant corruption.

The first corrupt official arraigned under the body’s new powers was disgraced anti-drug czar Moek Dara, who was convicted last year on several counts of bribery and corruption.

Yentieng said earlier this month the ACU had received more than 800 complaints against the Preah Vihear deputy prosecutor.

Although these are the only recent arrests, Yentieng said about 30 per cent of the complaints were credible enough for an investigation.

The tax officer is alleged to have fraudulently not stamped tax forms for an entire year and is accused of embezzling payments meant for government coffers.

Keo Sim, lead prosecutor at the Preah Vihear Provincial Court, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Vong Sokheng at [email protected]