A Brigadier general in the national police was released from custody today after promising to repay tens of thousands in illegal “fees” he collected from young men wanting to join the police force.

National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said General So Nal, deputy director of the Department of Police Intervention in the Ministry of Interior, was detained for questioning on Saturday, accused of collecting US$3,500 payments from at least 30 people.

“General So Nal was accused of collecting the money from those who wanted to work with the police. He was released because he has agreed to return all the money to those who he collected it from,” he said.

“The reason why he was not sent to court is because this is a civil case.”

Mok Chito, director of the Ministry’s Department of Penal Police, said So Nal was detained following the arrest on January 28 of four “brokers” who had helped him collect the money.

“The general was detained on the morning of January 29 due to the complaints of a group of young people, who said that they paid $3,500 each to him through his four people,” he said.

He added that the four alleged brokers were still being held at the Interior Ministry pending further investigations into the accusations against them.