The Svay Rieng provincial Department of Education, Youth and Sport has told parents and guardians to file a formal complaint with the provincial court after they alleged that the director and cashier of Golden Bridge International School fled after collecting tens of thousands of dollars in students’ fees.
Som Vannak, one of four teachers employed by the school, said that 140 pupils were enrolled in classes, with each required to pay $250-400 per year.
Golden Bridge International School director Meas Y Si and his partner Chan Sophanny, who acted as the school’s cashier, fled just a few months after starting their operations, provincial Department of Education director Khieu Samol told The Post on Monday.
Samol said that Y Si applied for a licence to open the school in March. He said that after being granted a licence, Y Si conspired with Sophanny to collect tuition payments from parents before running away on October 28.
“The actions of the two individuals are fraudulent and therefore a criminal offence. The parents ought to file complaints with the judicial police and the courts to move forward with legal action,” Samol said.
However, two frustrated parents who believe that they were duped by Yi Si and Sophanny said they had already made authorities aware of the situation.
Pov Saphea, 32, told The Post she and other parents had already filed a formal complaint with commune police officials and the provincial Office of Education hoping that they would intervene, but neither party was able to resolve the situation.
“I do not know how much action the relevant police have taken in our case,” she said.
Saphea said she had paid $400 for her seven-year-old daughter Ratha to study at the school for two years, but Sophanny and Y Si fled just two months after she enrolled her daughter.
Similarly, Neang Bora, 31, from Svay Tiep district, told The Post that she had paid $550 in tuition fees for two of her children to study at the school, but Yi Si and Sophanny fled a little more than a week after her children began their lessons.
“I asked the Svay Rieng commune police station about the complaint that I had filed earlier, but the police officer told me not to be too anxious and that police officials were investigating the matter according to legal procedure,” she said.
Svay Rieng district police chief Ken Rithy said although he had received a verbal report from the commune police station last Friday, he was yet to be forwarded written complaints from the parents.
“When the case is in my hand, I will proceed with it as per legal procedures. We will not allow any scammer to escape the law,” he said.