Four Norton University employees have been accused of defrauding 135 students out of money, according to a university announcement dated November 1, and sighted by The Post on Monday.
The announcement titled Fake Scholarships, displayed in front of Norton University’s cashier’s office, alleged that Leng Malen, Chamroeun Srey Neath, Phoeuk Kaovith and Phy Srey Vuoch had created “fake bills and signatures and altered the database system” of the university to take money from the 135 students, who intended to pay for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The university urged the victims to demand their money back from the suspects and file complaints with the administration office so the university can help and manage complaints against the four suspects.
“The university does not recognise and will not be responsible for payment to other people not in the cashier office,” read the announcement.
However, the students and their parents are demanding that the university take full responsibility as they claim the suspects are staff there.
Keo Tha, 54, the mother of a victim Tan Srey Ra, who is a sophomore at the department of hospitality, told The Post on Monday that she is happy with the intervention of the university staff and directors in announcing the actions of the four suspects, but demanded the university take complete responsibility.
Tha, who is a widow with five children and a greengrocer at Kilometre 6 market in the capital’s Russey Keo district, said: “To pay the school fees [of over $400] for my daughter again means that I need to borrow from my neighbours.
“It is a big amount of money for poor people like us. Therefore, my daughter’s studies can continue or end here. It depends on the university.”
Sak Long Ny, 21, a junior majoring in economics, who paid her school fee via the university cashier’s office accounting intern Srey Neath said: “I believe and trust her [Srey Neath] who is my classmate and roommate.
“That’s why I paid through her after she secretly told me that by paying the money through her, I would get a 20 per cent discount on the total annual fee of $485.”
Long Ny said after paying through Srey Neath, the university released the announcement saying that it will not take responsibility for payment through the four suspects and urged those who paid through them to file a complaint.
“At the moment, we are waiting for the university [to take action], but if [it] requires us to pay 100 per cent of the fees again, we will not agree. We will continue protesting,” Long Ny said.
A member of the university’s administration, wishing to remain anonymous, claimed on Monday that a committee of the University’s Board of Directors will meet on Monday evening to find a solution.
He called on the students and their parents to be patient.
