The Kampong Speu provincial court has ordered that a deputy provincial governor and two other men be detained in custody in the provincial prison as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption charges.

The Sunday, March 9 detention order was issued in relation to an alleged payment of $400,000 for a mining license for a site in Pailin province.

The arrests followed an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) which was launched after a complaint was filed by a lawyer representing a Chinese national.

A November 2024 letter from the lawyer – obtained by The Post on March 10 – named the official in question.

“This complaint is against deputy governor Tith Vuthy and his associates. It relates to a fee paid for a mining license for 103 kilometres in Pailin province,” said the letter.

The lawyer refused to comment further on the case, noting that the case is still before the courts.

The 56-year-old Vuthy and 45-year-old Hav Khen face charges of abuse of power, forgery, using forged documents and using counterfeit public documents.

The crimes allegedly occurred in Kampong Speu, Pailin, Battambang, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces throughout 2023.

The third individual, 44-year-old Ing Saroeun, is implicated in similar offenses related to abuse of power, forgery, using forged documents and the use of counterfeit public documents, in the same locations and timeframe.

The Post was unable to reach ACU spokesperson Soy Chanvicheth for further comment on Monday, February 10.