Fraud Case Highlights Bribery Around Requests for Citizenship
The Court of Appeal on Monday acquitted a South Korean businessman who allegedly stole $50,000 that was supposed to be used to acquire Cambodian citizenship for his boss in 2007. Koo Bonkwang, the former president of Commerce Central Finance, a microlender, said he paid the money to his partner, Hwang Wonchul, in the hope of gaining citizenship, which is necessary for owning land in the country. … According to Prak Vannarith, chief of the department of foreign affairs with the Ministry of Interior, applicants for Cambodian citizenship must prove they have lived in Cambodia for at least seven years or that they have been married to a Cambodian national for at least three years in order to become a citizen. In addition, they must take tests and prove their proficiency in the Khmer language. … To make the process of acquiring a Cambodian citizenship clearer, three new sub-decrees on the renunciation of a citizenship and the acquiring of a citizenship by marriage or nationalization were signed last month, Mr. Vannarith said. …
