Five disabled veterans from Kampong Speu province said on Thursday that the local authority made them thumbprint a document stating they had not received financial assistance of 50,000 riel ($12.50) that Hun Many, a lawmaker representing the province and the son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, had promised them.

Mei Yeng, one of the five veterans from Thpong district, said: “Police came to ask if we had received the money. I told them we hadn’t received any. Then they prepared a report and I just gave them my thumbprint without knowing what they took it for.”

District police chief Hun Sok Hon acknowledged that it was his fault, though he said the five should have registered with his veteran association.

“I’m the veteran association president. I made a mistake by not visiting them at their home directly. I should have visited them in person,” he said.

“We don‘t have their name, but they will be given the grant anyway. So far we’ve given the money to three soldiers already.” Voun Dara