Ministry of Defense Backs Accused RCAF Officials

14 January 2014
The Cambodia Daily
Anti-corruption / Crime and law enforcement / Government / Human rights / Law and judiciary / Ministries and other national bodies / Ministry of Interior / Social development
Adhoc / Brigadier General Phlorn Dara / Bun Seng / Colonel Keo Senglong / Minister of Defense Tea Banh / Ministry of Defense / RCAF / RCAF's Military Region 5 / Royal Cambodian Armed Forces / Secretary of State General Neang Phat / Tea Banh

The Ministry of Defense on Monday said that a complaint filed against a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) commander in Banteay Meanchey province for alleged corruption and other crimes had already been resolved in 2011. On Friday, provincial RCAF soldiers informed local rights group Adhoc of their previous complaints to courts and government officials, in which they accused Brigadier General Phlorn Dara, commander of RCAF in Banteay Meanchey, and his brother-in-law, deputy commander Colonel Keo Senglong, of a plethora of crimes that included cutting the salaries of soldiers, handicapped soldiers and veterans, stealing RCAF property and adding ghost names to the payroll. ... However, Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said Monday that the ministry’s inspection department had in fact investigated the case several years ago and found both Brig. Gen. Dara and Col. Senglong to be not guilty. ... News reports alleging that Secretary of State General Neang Phat and Bun Seng, commander of military region 5, which covers Battambang, Pailin, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey provinces, were backing Brig. Gen. Dara were also wrong, Mr. Socheat said. “We don’t want the public to have a confused understanding about the case because it is not new,” he said. ...

 Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-of-defense-backs-accused-rcaf%E2%80%88officials-50496/