Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

National Police Rejects Corruption Allegations Involving Commissioner General Sar Thet

Motorists drive past the General Commissariat Of National Police in Phnom Penh on January 2, 2025. (CamboJA/ Pring Samrang)
Motorists drive past the General Commissariat Of National Police in Phnom Penh on January 2, 2025. (CamboJA/ Pring Samrang)

The General Commissariat of National Police this week dismissed allegations made by tycoon Heng Sithy who accused National Police Commissioner General Sar Thet of allegedly accepting a $5 million bribe.

Sithy, a prominent real estate businessman whose honorary Neak Oknha title was revoked by the king after making several allegations late December 2024, accused high-ranking government officials of corruption and cybercrimes.

His list of top officials included Kandal province governor Kuoch Chamroeun, who previously served as governor of Preah Sihanouk, Interior Minister Sar Sokha, and Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief Chuon Narin.

In a Facebook post, Sithy alleged that General Sar Thet accepted a $5 million bribe from Phua Gek Seng, a Singaporean citizen who also holds Cambodian citizenship, to produce a false report in order to arrest him. Sithy alleged that Phua operated the “largest online casino network in Cambodia” and was involved in money laundering. 

Following the accusation, Phua filed a lawsuit against Sithy, accusing him of defamation and extortion. According to Sithy, the bribe from Phua was intended to facilitate a false report against him and place him on Interpol’s list.

On December 30, the General Commissariat of National Police issued a statement on Facebook strongly rejecting Sithy’s claims. 

“The National Police completely denies the fabricated information and baseless accusations made by Heng Sithy, as well as the publication by The Cambodia Daily,” it wrote. The police demanded Sithy to “retract his allegations and correct the information he publicly shared on Facebook”.

In response, Sithy posted a video on social media to apparently back the truth of his accusations. He called on Sar Thet to admit receiving the money and resign from his position.

According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak, Sithy is no longer in Cambodia. He told CamboJA News that Sithy has “traveled to multiple countries” and is currently facing lawsuits related to his public accusations but has failed to appear in person for questioning. 

He noted that the officials accused by Sithy have consistently denied the allegations.

Cambodian authorities have taken legal action against Sithy as a way of addressing the matter, including filing a red notice with Interpol to facilitate the arrest.

“As for the Ministry of Interior, we are preparing a legal action based on the facts and laws regarding this individual’s continuous posts,” Sokhak said. “These accusations not only harm the reputation of leaders and investors but also tarnish the image of Cambodia as a whole.”

Sokhak urged Sithy to provide evidence of his allegations through the court instead of ”fleeing the country and posting statements on Facebook”. He believed that Sithy’s actions might be an attempt to link his case to politics as a means of seeking political asylum abroad.

Kandal governor Kuoch Chamroeun also rejected Sithy’s accusations of him being allegedly complicit in the protection of illegal gambling activities and other illicit operations. Sithy alleged that Chamroeun amassed “hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency” during his time as governor of Preah Sihanouk from June 2019 to June 2024. 

Despite the denials, Sithy continues to accuse the high-ranking officials of corruption and cybercrime involvement on his Facebook page.

San Chey, president of Cambodian Social Accountability Coalition, said the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is responsible for the investigation of all corruption complaints, whether arising from social media posts or submissions to the unit.

“By doing so, it encourages more people to report on corruption. The important thing is that [ACU] must investigate,” he said. 

When contacted by CamboJA News, ACU spokesperson Soy Chanvichet declined to comment on the allegations, which he said were “merely an individual’s post on social media”.

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