Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Traffic officers demoted, suspended for fining motorist without cause

Traffic officers demoted, suspended for fining motorist without cause

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Traffic police officers stationed at the Tonle Bassac intersection with Mao Tse Tung Boulevard were demoted and suspended on October 25 after they were caught fining a motorist who did not commit any violations.

Traffic officers demoted, suspended for fining motorist without cause

Phnom Penh municipal police chief Sar Thet has demoted and suspended traffic police officers stationed at the Tonle Bassac intersection with Mao Tse Tung Boulevard after they were caught fining a motorist who did not commit any violations.

Municipal police spokesman San Sokseyha said on October 25 that of the four officers stationed at the busy intersection, two had been demoted and suspended for three months. The two others were contract officials who were not involved in the case directly but were suspended as well because they were present at the location and failed to report their colleagues’ wrongdoing.

“The two officials from the traffic bureau were demoted with one stripe stripped,” he said.

In an October 25 press release, the municipal police said that after video of the incident went viral on social media, Thet ordered that the officers be summonsed for questioning.

Two of the officers admitted that they had stopped and fined the motorist without issuing invoices because the driver was not guilty of any violations, the release said, adding that the officers would still have to be present at their office during working hours despite their suspension.

Video evidence was presented of the incident, which took place on October 21at 9:15am at the intersection. In the video, a silver ISUZU is stopped despite not running through the traffic light – as proved by the car’s dashcam footage.

On the morning of October 22, an audio message was leaked in which one of the officers, Prum Chandara, is heard offering to transfer the money back to the car owner if he would delete the video from social media, but the request was rejected.

Kim Pagna, country director of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP), said on October 25 that the punishment was not severe enough.

“Stronger punishments against our traffic police officers should be used to gain the trust of the public so that our traffic police will work to strengthen the enforcement of the law on the streets to maintain public order and protect the lives of motorists,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication