Minister of Interior Sar Sokha remarks at his ministry's annual meeting last month. Interior ministry
Minister of Interior Sar Sokha has dismissed at least 160 police officers from various departments within the ministry’s jurisdiction for returning positive tests for illegal narcotics.
According to documents dated March 1 and seen by The Post on March 7, the officers were from different units across the country, including the National Police.
Interior ministry spokesman Touch Sokhak confirmed to The Post that all of them returned positive drug tests.
“We are testing nationwide. We began in Prey Veng province, and moved on to the National Police headquarters in Phnom Penh,” said Sokhak.
He explained that the decision to test is based on former Prime Minister Hun Sen’s reform slogan: “Look in the mirror, take a bath, clean the body, get treatment and undergo surgery”. In this case, he regarded the sackings as necessary “surgery”.
“The interior ministry has repeatedly warned all officials under its jurisdiction, including police officers, prison guards and civil servants, not to become involved with drugs, whether using or trafficking. They were told that if they were discovered to be involved with narcotics, they would be dismissed,” he added.
Sokhak said the current testing regime is now 80 per cent complete. All capital and provincial-level staffs have now been tested, with only departmental officials still to be tested.
“Since the beginning of the campaign, more than 160 officials have been dismissed, including the latest group of 67,” he added.
“The interior minister has also instructed the capital and provincial administrations to begin testing all of the officials within their jurisdictions. Some administrations have already set a date for the process,” explained the spokesman.
Prime Minister Hun Manet and Sokha recently declared that strict measures would be taken against members of the police and armed forces and any civil servants found to have involved in the use, sale or trafficking of drugs.
Manet warned that they would face dismissal, without exception.
Sokhak said the measures have received widespread support from across the nation.
