Anti-Corruption Unit Warns Officials for High Services’ Charges

Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) warns public servants not to over-charge administrative services from the people as the Unit will take legal procedure against those stubborn staffs.

In a corruption talk attended by about 100 representatives of the Kingdom’s public institutions, ACU President H.E. Oum Yinteang warns for not claiming high public service charges which is more than the legal amount from the citizens, while such over services’ charges have been traditionally complained. 

“After this warning, if those stubborn officials don’t stop claiming overcharge amount, justice polices will be dispatched for thorough investigations, and if offenses actually found, legal procedure against those officials will be implemented,” President warns.

H.E. Oum Yinteang asks each institution to determine public services’ charges and submit to the ACU for consideration, and along with the receipt issued. “Creating such administrative charges is to legally ensure that those revenues are legal and ACU will bring the set-administration costs to discuss with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Council for Development of Cambodia (CDC) for final approval.”

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A reliable foreign report as distributed to reporters by ACU warns that most ministries and institutions have claimed huge administrative fees which is far much than the amount stated by-law.

It also points out the survey related to the use of money to facilitate work process such as passport fee as determined by public fee is USD132-USD138, and 3days costs USD400-USD500, 7days costs USD250-USD300, and 30days costs USD150-USD200. 

The document also stressed that the traffic police usually claims over-fine of 5,000-10,000 riels, while fire extinguisher equipped in major outlets are charged USD70, family book costs USD50, resident book costs 50$, Letter of Relocation costs 25$, and Certificate of Residence for normal people costs USD5.

He, anyway praised the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Tax Authority related to 2011 tax collection and recent tax personnel’s recruitments as ACU didn’t found any corruption during tax collection in 2011, but only rude behavior acted by the staffs which need to be enhanced.   

After the inspection in the tax staff recruitments, which attended by16, 000 candidates and only 300 were selected,  ACU noticed four candidates committed briberies providing between USD20,000-USD30,000 to pass the exam, but after ACU noticed these cases, those candidates weren’t’ passed, so the exam was acceptable.

In response to this warning, Secretary of State of Ministry of Foreign affairs, H.E. Ouch Borith as represent officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests ACU to immediate inform whenever corruptions are found at the Ministry.

 Photo by: Radio Free Asia

According to him, the Unit faces 3 internal weaknesses, i.e. the lack of human resources, Troubling complaint filing procedures, and narrow broadcasting of the unit to the public.

On November 14, this Council of Ministers’ Anti-Corruption Agency inserted 77 justice polices aiming to accelerate the working competencies while it has been slow so far. “Corruption cases are complicated, and time-consuming, so with this new justice force will help accelerate the investigation progress to head for perpetrators.”

But he impressed to his own agency saying that, “ACU was just established with little human resources, and we reached this stage; we appreciate our achievements.” adding that, “But we agree such accomplishments are little compared to what the people want.”

ACU will move forward corruption crackdown campaigns, step-1 campaign among principal figures, i.e. public servants, step-2, gather opinions, requests from the ministries- institutions to discuss with CDC and Ministry of Economy and Finance to standardize and clarify the administrative costs, than issue an official declaration about the cost, and to step-3 implement it.

“From now on, we should not think the past, but focus on what the present, and future should be look like,” he said for a corruption-free Cambodia in the future.

The committee will host a meeting with the press and NGOs by end of this year to seek out common cooperation on anti-corruption attempt.

Remarks that ACU recorded 38 corruption cases only related to drug smuggling alone the series of crimes of which solely committed by former head of Cambodia's anti-drugs department Moek Dara, and former chief of the anti-drug office at the Ministry of Interior, Chea Leng.

Moek Dara’s cases contained over-half meter height of complaints, and was on trial on November 17, 2011 at Banteay Meanchey’s provincial court, and it will take the next two months to complete while 130 witnesses accused him, and ACU stands as Accuser, said Head of ACU.