The Department of Environment in Kampong Thom province has issued a denial regarding allegations of illegal gold mining operations recently reported in the media, claiming they occurred within the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Kratie province. Officials also refuted claims of receiving an eight million riel ($2,000) bribe to overlook illegal mining.

Tob Kakkada, the head of the department, made the denial in a January 16 letter to Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth. 

The letter clarified reporting by local media that environmental and other local officials accepted millions of riel in exchange for not cracking down on illegal gold mining activities.  

Following the publication of the article, officials from the Kampong Thom environmental department visited the site of the illegal mining.

The environment ministry shared the letter to social media on January 17.

In the document, Kakkada explains that the illegal gold mining operations occurred in the Bek Chan area of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kratie province. He claimed it did not happen in Kampong Thom’s Phnom Chi, as reported. The actual location is over 2 kilometres from the border between Kampong Thom and Kratie provinces.  

“According to some cassava diggers in the area that we questioned, the individuals involved in the illegal activities are all residents of Kratie province,” he said.

“Furthermore, the claim of receiving 8 million riel in exchange for not cracking down on the mining operations is completely false. We have never received such money nor instructed any officials under our jurisdiction to solicit money from illegal miners,” he added.  

He asserted that the department has consistently raised awareness and conducted ongoing crackdowns on illegal gold mining activities in the province’s territory, with no complicity in such crimes.

Chhay Duong Savuth, head of the Kratie provincial department, was unavailable for comment on January 17, saying that he was in a meeting.