The judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt government institution in the Kingdom, according to a United Nations Development Programme global survey of corruption in the judiciary released on Friday.

A Transparent and Accountable Judiciary to Deliver Justice for All says that, globally, the police are viewed as the most corrupt institution, but not in Cambodia, the report found.

“In the Asia-Pacific region the judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt institution in Afghanistan and Cambodia,” the report reads.

Ministry of Justice spokesman Chhin Malin, speaking yesterday, said he “cannot give comment about this report because we have not seen details [or] its methodology”.

However, Malin acknowledged the corruption is real in the judiciary.

“We acknowledge corruption and it is in every country, but in some countries it is huge, while in other countries it is small, and we acknowledge that corruption occurs in judicial sectors.”

Nevertheless, Malin maintained Cambodia’s level of corruption is acceptable given the country’s level of development. “We are not worse than other countries in a similar phase,” he said.

Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Cambodia 150 out of 168 countries, the lowest among ASEAN countries.

Anti-Corruption Unit officials could not be reached for comment.