Ministry forms committee to probe two RCAF officers
THE Ministry of National Defence has formed a committee of nine senior military officials to investigate allegations against two senior officers regarding irregularities in the execution of their duties.
The General Command of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), in a June 28 letter seen by The Post on Sunday, said it had called for the committee to investigate Siek Socheat, head of the RCAF border affairs office.
It is also to probe Sok Sakol, the former commander of subregional operations in Preah Sihanouk and the current deputy chief of Garrison 3.
RCAF General Command spokesman Thong Solimo said the committee’s formation came in response to a letter from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) seeking clarification regarding a complaint from an anonymous officer.
“The committee was formed in response to a letter from the Anti-Corruption Unit. We are not sure whether the allegations are true or not. We
are waiting for the committee to carry out its investigation first,” Solimo said.
A report from an ACU National Council meeting on June 27 said the anti-corruption body received 35 complaints last month, 16 anonymously.
The ACU had investigated 23 primary complaints not related to corruption or in which there was no evidence of graft.
“In June, the ACU sent 32 complaints to relevant institutions and individuals for clarification,” the report said.
Kin Phea, the director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the complaints had been sent to the relevant institutions and individuals in order to crack down on corruption in state institutions.
They would serve as a warning to ot her senior of ficia ls.
“It is good that we have strengthened law enforcement and promoted the clean running of state institutions. This is a message to senior leadership and other military chiefs not to be corrupt,” Phea said.
Siek Socheat on Monday declined to comment to The Post on the matter, while ACU chief Om Yentieng could not be reached.