Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Environment ministry trains officials to spot laundered loot

Environment ministry trains officials to spot laundered loot

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Environment ministry trains officials on the guidelines and procedures for investigating cases of money laundering on December 6 to strengthen the capacity of officials. ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY

Environment ministry trains officials to spot laundered loot

A Ministry of Environment training session on the guidelines and procedures for investigating cases of money laundering continued on December 6 to strengthen the capacity of officials.

The training was presided over by Neth Pheaktra, ministry secretary of state and permanent deputy chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering Task Force, and attended by some 100 judicial police and law enforcement officials.

Pheaktra said all judicial police officials have the role of enforcing the Law on “Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism” and the Law on “Combating the Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) stemming from natural resource crime.

“[We] have actively cooperated with the relevant ministries and institutions to strengthen the environment ministry’s mechanisms and permanent systems in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and to increase the effectiveness of crime prevention,” he said.

The environment ministry said its Anti-Money Laundering Task Force had made presentations related to the Law on Protected Areas, the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism, and the standard operating procedures to be implemented in the fight against money laundering.

“While large-scale natural resources crimes are currently no longer occurring, there are still small offences we have to prevent and crack down on,” Pheaktra said.

He urged officials to remain vigilant and continue fully implementing the law responsibly and professionally to preserve natural resources, and to especially crack down on money laundering and the financing of terrorism resulting from natural resource crime.

He also noted that said that thanks to peace, political stability and strengthened natural resource preservation, Cambodia had sold carbon credits, which is an important development as the Kingdom is receiving revenue from its conservation efforts.

“The view that only deforestation can earn income has been discredited, and we are now operating under the slogan of ‘keep the trees standing for the benefit of the economy and society’.

“As Cambodia successfully sells carbon credits, it raises the Kingdom’s prestige on the international stage. It also rebuts any idea that Cambodia has the most forest crime in the world,” Pheaktra said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the