A leaked Ministry of Interior letter chastises certain advisers to Interior Minister Sar Kheng for using their association to him for personal gain, though the letter stops short of naming the offenders.

Issued by Kheng’s cabinet on October 16, the letter accuses advisers and assistants of not performing their duties well and acting like “middlemen” by asking for official intervention from authorities in personal matters or getting involved themselves to resolve disputes.

“The cabinet will implement administrative punishments, or in a serious case, will request Samdech Kralahom [Sar Kheng] to remove them from their positions, fire from the institution or send to court,” the letter reads.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak refused to answer questions about the letter, saying it was an internal document not meant to be seen by the public.

However, he told a local media outlet that Kheng did not appreciate his name being used by these advisers, pointing to three assistants who had been fired for borrowing money using the minister as a reference.