A district official with the Cambodia National Rescue Party has offered a group of disgruntled donors in Kandal their money back after they lodged a complaint with local police over the opposition’s fundraising efforts for its Sun TV station.

In a letter dated August 29 and sent to the provincial CNRP branch, a group of 35 families in Kandal Stung district led by one Sar Sokun insisted they wanted their roughly $1,300 back over concerns the money went straight to the party’s coffers rather than to the TV station, a project budgeted at $3 million.

Heang Vanna, director of the CNRP’s executive committee in the district, responded in a letter to the district police chief dated September 2 and asked police to “inform Sar Sokun and the other 35 families to [come] take their money back”.

“Please, come and take back the money by handing in receipts to the CNRP,” the letter reads.

In the initial complaint, Sokun said there was little transparency from the opposition about their fundraising efforts and how the money was being used, and that he heard other people in other provinces lodged similar complaints.

He then filed another letter on August 31 after listening to CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann tell Radio France Internationale that the letter was drawn up by “opponents”.

“For the Sun Television fund, corruption and exploitation have really happened in order to serve the their party’s interests,” Sokun wrote.

A police official in Kandal Stung district who wished to remain anonymous said he could not locate the families.

“There are only names and no addresses,” he said. “We’ve had difficulties finding them.”