Government
Anti-corruption
Banteay Meanchey Soldiers File Complaint Against Superiors
Dozens of soldiers from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in Banteay Meanchey province have filed a complaint with rights group Adhoc accusing their superiors of serious corruption, stealing veterans’ pensions, nepotism and illegal logging. For three years, a representative of the soldiers said, they had ...
Saing Soenthrith
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/banteay-meanchey-soldiers-file-complaint-against-superiors-50393/
Global Fund backs off threatened cuts to grants
The Global Fund has backed down on its threat to cut or reduce health grants to Cambodia worth more than $100 million, saying they considered the fraction of misused funds that have been returned thus far a sign of sufficient good will. In a letter sent ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/global-fund-backs-threatened-cuts-grants
Global Fund’s probe saw little cooperation
Financial records the Global Fund requested for its investigation into widespread corruption in health grants to Cambodia were withheld and censored by grant recipients, the probe found, suggesting a systematic attempt to cover up wrongdoing. Out of a total of $220.3 million worth of expenses the ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/global-fund%E2%80%99s-probe-saw-little-cooperation
Anti-Corruption Unit Reports on Health Sector Bribe Case
The government’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on Tuesday delivered its latest report on its review of allegations of massive bribe taking inside the Health Ministry leveled by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria in November. Officials on Wednesday were mum about the review, however, ...
Khy Sovuthy and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/anti-corruption-unit-reports-on-health-sector-bribe-case-49863/
Education Ministry, ADB to Probe Textbook Theft
The Education Ministry and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Monday that they had begun a joint investigation into the misappropriation of textbooks intended for secondary school students under an ADB-funded scheme. Two NGOs on Thursday released results of an investigation into 33 secondary schools, which ...
Matt Blomberg and Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/education-ministry-adb-to-probe-textbook-theft-49779/
Human Rights Watch attacks IMF chief over Cambodia visit
American lobby group Human Rights Watch has lashed out at Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, for her trip to Cambodia earlier this month. In a commentary posted Thursday, it noted that the IMF recognized that corruption threatened market integrity, distorted competition, ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=YTNmNDE1NGJiZjY
Textbooks arriving COD, NGOs claim
School textbooks paid for by the Asian Development Bank have been routed to district education offices, some of which are charging schools for books that are supposed to be free, an NGO investigation has found. The textbooks on Khmer literature, maths, geography, morality and science were ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/textbooks-arriving-cod-ngos-claim
Funcinpec leaders ‘to sell off headquarters’
High-ranking members of the royalist Funcinpec party have said they are set to file a court complaint against the party’s senior leaders for allegedly attempting to sell the party’s headquarters for their own personal gain. Sok Sa Vann, a member of the party’s steering committee, maintained ...
Vong Sokheng
http://Funcinpec leaders ‘to sell off headquarters’
Rice Trader Claims Being Wrongly Fined Bad Scale to Measure Her Truck
A rice trader on Monday filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Unit, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cabinet and three ministries alleging that officials in Kompong Cham province had wrongly fined her for an overweight truck after using improperly weighted scales. Saing Darlin had her truck impounded ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/rice-trader-claims-being-wrongly-fined-bad-scale-to-measure-her-truck-49631/
ACU asks Global Fund for evidence in probe
Cambodia’s Anti-corruption Unit has criticised the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for not sending them the findings of its investigation into widespread corruption in health grants. Chhay Savuth, vice-president of the Anti-Corruption Unit, said he had contacted the Global Fund to request evidence ...
Mom Kunthear and Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/acu-asks-global-fund-evidence-probe
ACU Charges Hotel Tax Collector in Siem Reap Province
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on Wednesday arrested a senior official from the Siem Reap provincial taxation branch and sent him to Phnom Penh to be placed in pretrial detention, officials said Thursday. Siem Reap Provincial Court president Duch Sok Sarin said that Liv Bunthan, the chief ...
Kuch Naren
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/acu-charges-hotel-tax-collector-in-siem-reap-province-49502/
Fund playing hardball
The Global Fund has threatened to suspend or reduce health grants to Cambodia totalling more than $100 million if the Ministry of Health, the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD (NCHADS) and NGO umbrella group MEDiCAM fail to meet a 30-day deadline to return ...
Kevin Ponniah and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/fund-playing-hardball
Asset, debt declaration required in January: ACU
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of Cambodia said that it has asked all officials working in state institutions and the ministries to declare all of their assets and debts starting January 1, 2014. The ACU’s asset and debt declaration department will start accepting asset and debt ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=15&token=YjlkZWZmNWNkYzR
NGO alleges bribery over titles
An environmental protection NGO is preparing to file a lawsuit with the Kampong Speu provincial court and a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Unit against an Agriculture Department official who was allegedly paid by a development firm to issue land titles to villagers squatting on state ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ngo-alleges-bribery-over-titles
Factory Owners Slam Government Over Handling of Strikes
Members of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) said during a conference Sunday that they are “fed up” with the government for not controlling strikes by labor unions. “All of us have the same issue: illegal strikes,” Van Porphin, a member of GMAC’s executive committee, ...
Colin Meyn and Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/factory-owners-slam-government-over-handling-of-strikes-49352/
Ponzi scheme suspects’ cases sent to court: ACU
Three alleged members of a money-laundering operation worth more than $11 million who were arrested earlier this year in Phnom Penh have had their cases sent to court and are now awaiting trial, Om Yentieng, head of the Anti-Corruption Unit, said yesterday. The three suspects – ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ponzi-scheme-suspects%E2%80%99-cases-sent-court-acu
ACU Partners With Coca-Cola in Anti-Graft Agreement
During a four-hour pop concert in Phnom Penh to mark International Anti-Corruption Day on Monday, the Coca-Cola Company and the government’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) signed an agreement that commits the international soft drinks company to avoid committing bribery in Cambodia. “Corruption is the barrier to development ...
Khy Sovuthy and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/acu-partners-with-coca-cola-in-anti-graft-agreement-48957/
Social accountability East Asia and Pacific congratulates ACU
Social accountability East Asia and Pacific, a regional non-profit organization devoted to improving governance and social accountability, congratulated the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of Cambodia for requiring government institutions to set a standard public service fee for items such as; certificates and ID cards. The ACU ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=15&token=ZGI2NDM1ODEwZTU
Hun Sen Orders Anticorruption Education for Students
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday issued a statement ordering that anti-graft education be incorporated into the national schooling system as part of a wider effort to stamp out corruption in the country. The statement, released in the lead-up to International Anti-Corruption Day, which falls today, ...
Mech Dara and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-orders-anticorruption-education-for-students-48830/
Aid Pledges Continue Despite CNRP Calls for Delay
Germany has pledged $64 million in aid donations to Cambodia for this year and next, amounting to a “substantial increase” over the past two years of official German assistance to the country, the German Embassy announced on Wednesday. Germany’s new aid package, the majority of which—$54 ...
Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/aid-pledges-continue-despite-cnrp-calls-for-delay-48718/
SISHA internal audit identifies no wrongdoing
Anti-human trafficking NGO SISHA announced the results of its internal audit yesterday, attempting to clear financial misconduct allegations made earlier this year. Retired police detective and founder of the NGO Steve Morrish came under fire in August after two of the charity’s former employees leaked information ...
Laignee Barron
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sisha-internal-audit-identifies-no-wrongdoing
After Reform Promise, a Return to Statecraft as Usual
In an epic, six-hour address in September, Prime Minister Hun Sen apologized for the government’s many “problems” and promised a more reformist government over the next five years of his rule. Targeting corruption, deforestation and the lack of transparency across government sectors, the prime minister made ...
Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/after-reform-promise-a-return-to-statecraft-as-usual-48602/
Cambodia Ranked Most Corrupt Country in the Region
Cambodia is now ranked as being perceived by investors as Southeast Asia’s most corrupt country, surpassing Laos and Burma on Transparency International’s annual corruption index. Cambodia ranked 160 of 175 countries in the report, with its index score a mere 20 out of 100. That’s two ...
Khoun Theara
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/cambodia-ranked-most-corrupt-country-in-the-region/1802720.html
Cambodian ruling party faces test over next 5 years
Cambodian political analysts said Prime Minister Hun Sen needs to make “serious and deep reforms” over the next five years to restore his popularity after his party survived with a slim majority in July’s disputed general election. Sok Touch, deputy director of the Royal Academy ...
Global Times
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/829846.shtml#.Up_bWNIW2ls