Following the detention of a Council for the Development of Cambodia official by the Anti-Corruption Unit last week, three more officials have been summoned by the Anti Corruption Unit to face questioning, according to a letter obtained yesterday.
Dated April 21, the document names Heng Soknang, deputy secretary-general of the Cambodia Investment Board, and third in the hierarchy of CDC management; Suon Sophal, director of the Department of Public Relations and Promotion of Private Investment; and Roth Theany, an official in Sophal’s department.
Reached yesterday, Heng Soknang said he had not received the letter, but would obey the summoning. “I did not know anything . . . but I will go to clarify,” he said, before referring questions to Chea Vuthy, the CDC’s number two.
Vuthy, in turn, referred questions to CDC head Sok Chenda Sophea, who hung up on a reporter. Deputy ACU chief Nuon Bophal declined to say whether the latest round of questioning was related to the detention of CDC staffer Chhoem Piseth who, according to the ACU, is accused of demanding bribes in order to process business applications.
Only ACU chief Om Yentieng was authorised to comment, Bophal said. Yentieng was unreachable yesterday.
San Chey, head of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, noted that corruption within the CDC is likely systematic, and arrests should not be limited to low-ranking officials.
