ACU president Om Yentieng said speed, rights, and justice are the duties of the ministry while fighting corruption is the ACU’s job. Justice Ministry
In a meeting on Friday with Anti-corruption Unit (ACU) chief Om Yentieng, Minister of Justice Koeut Rith requested the cooperation of the ACU to help tackle the issue of backlogged cases in the municipal and provincial courts.
Rith, who leads the committee tasked with solving the backlog of cases, will unveil the measures at 8:30am on Monday at the ministry.
“These measures were created to tackle the issue of backlogged cases and overcrowding in prisons.
They will enhance the ability of the court system to provide better justice to citizens by accelerating the cases,” the ministry said in an announcement.
Ministry spokesman Chin Malin said: “The cooperation and support of all related parties will be confirmed in detail in a press conference on Monday morning when the plan will be revealed.”
Yentieng told The Post on Sunday that he had great respect for Rith, who he says has steered the ministry in the right direction and spearheaded the issue of prison overcrowding.
“Even though these measures are to help the court tackle the issue of backlogged cases, it goes further as it strengthens the quality of the courts.
“It does not mean that all cases must be accelerated without thinking of legal procedures, justice and fairness. Speed, rights, justice, and fighting corruption are the main points of the reform enacted by the minister,” Yentieng said.
He said speed, rights, and justice are the duties of the ministry while fighting corruption is the ACU’s job.
He said the two must join hands to prevent opportunists from taking advantage of measures implemented to ease prison overcrowding.
“Wanting to be fast but not clean or wanting to be clean but not quick . . . these are two diseases that Rith’s measures aim to treat. The justice system in Cambodia has paved a path under Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Rectangular Strategy Phase IV,” he said.
The Rectangular Strategy is Hun Sen’s national strategic development plan first announced in 2018.
“This is not just participating by observing. The ACU will give confidential information to the minister to help the ministry investigate, apart from some other things that I cannot mention,” Yentieng said.
