Phnom Penh police have refuted a late night social media claim of a “scam” by police officers, saying that the foreigner in question failed a breathalyser test and was fined the correct amount for driving under the influence (DUI) over the limit.
They noted that South African DJ/MC Franco du Toit was also driving at high speed, and not wearing a helmet.
Du Toit was caught at a checkpoint on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Keng Kang commune and district on the night of March 1.
He took to Facebook immediately afterwards, claiming that police officers had taken his phone, assaulted him and threatened him with jail. The MC also shared a screenshot of a $250 dollar ABA transaction, which he alleged he was forced to pay.
He also responded to comments on his post, claiming that he had not drunk any alcohol and was only stopped and fined for not wearing a helmet.
“[They] tell me to pay into personal ABA. Please help to resolve this. SCAM. Only no helmet,” he wrote.
“They took my phone from me telling me I cannot leave if I don’t pay. Grabbed my neck and pushed me to the sidewalk. Told me I cannot take video or picture, they grabbed my phone out my hand when I called my girlfriend,” he added.
On March 2, the Phnom Penh Police quick reaction team issued a clarification, via its own Facebook page.
They explained that the Boeung Keng Kang police set up a checkpoint to test drivers for alcohol.
They were approached by foreigner driving a 250cc motorcycle at high speed while not wearing a helmet, and stopped him for questioning.
“The officers told him to cooperate and take a breathalyser test. The result showed that his alcohol level was 0.91, far above the limit for drivers. Under article 10 of the Kingdom’s traffic laws, anyone caught driving with that alcohol level is to be fined one million riel ($250),” explained the clarification.
“The police also prevented him from driving any further, instructing him that a sober friend could drive it home, or he could return to collect it from the police station the following day,” it added.
They added that du Toit also took video while being stopped and sent it to a friend before being asked to delete it. Eventually, one of his sober friends arrived to drive the DJ and his motorcycle home.
The police notice suggested that du Toit had been fired from one nightclub position and was now working at another club. They also invited him to visit the Phnom Penh Police headquarters to resolve his perceived issue.
“The enforcement of the law is applied equally to everyone, no matter whether they are Cambodian or a foreigner. Our officers adhere to professional standards, which are based on strict legal principles,” explained the police.