Sixty-one police officers in Ratanakkiri’s O’Chum district filed a complaint to the district governor last month asking her to remove their police chief from his position and accusing him of corruption, charges the man dismissed as a “set-up”.

The complaint, filed on August 28, said that the police chief had demanded money from his subordinates, embezzled funds and taken money from a photographer in charge of producing identification cards. He also allegedly asked for money from illegal loggers.

“He took $50 to $100 from his officers and promised to promote them; he embezzled revenue from the unit for his own use,” the complaint reads.

But district police chief Hong Koemseng denied the accusations.

“The [provincial police] discipline council already investigated all of the charges and determined that it was a set-up,” Koemseng said, blaming the accusations on a disgruntled deputy.

His accusers could not be reached for comment yesterday.