Meas Sokchea and Bridget Di Certo Monday, 12 March 2012
Phnom Penh Post
An anonymous group on Saturday filed a corruption complaint with the Anti-Corruption Unit against senator Sok Kong’s Sokimex company’s management of the Angkor Wat temple complex.
The complaint, dated March 10, alleges Sokimex has siphoned the majority of funds recouped from tourist entrance fees to the world heritage site and that the contract between the government and Sokimex is “irregular” and lacks transparency.
“If [ACU head Om Yentieng] does not take legal action and investigate, this means that [Om Yentieng] and Prime Minister Hun Sen are leaders who are as corrupt as [Sokimex] too, it is like a proverb saying ‘a toad selling ringworm medicine’,” the complaint states.
Om Yentieng could not be reached for comment yesterday, but ACU spokesman Keo Remy welcomed the complaint filed by anonymous people and guaranteed that despite the anonymity of the complaint, an investigation would ensue if it was worthy.
“Take action or not take action, normally [we] know [our selves] what to do. I guarantee our work is very good,” he said, declining to comment any further until he had “received and read the complaint himself”.
Cambodian People’s Party senator Sok Kong, also director general of the Sokimex Company, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Bun Narith, general director of APSARA Authority, which oversees conservation efforts at the Angkor Wat temple complex, dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“Law experts prepared the contract and there were also IMF representatives participating in making the contract [between the government and Sokimex],” Bun Narith said.
When asked how much revenue Sok Kong’s company gains per annum from Angkor Wat, Bun Narith declined to comment in detail, but said that in 2011, both shareholders in Sokimex and the government received more than US$40 million.
Phnom Penh Post
An anonymous group on Saturday filed a corruption complaint with the Anti-Corruption Unit against senator Sok Kong’s Sokimex company’s management of the Angkor Wat temple complex.
The complaint, dated March 10, alleges Sokimex has siphoned the majority of funds recouped from tourist entrance fees to the world heritage site and that the contract between the government and Sokimex is “irregular” and lacks transparency.
“If [ACU head Om Yentieng] does not take legal action and investigate, this means that [Om Yentieng] and Prime Minister Hun Sen are leaders who are as corrupt as [Sokimex] too, it is like a proverb saying ‘a toad selling ringworm medicine’,” the complaint states.
Om Yentieng could not be reached for comment yesterday, but ACU spokesman Keo Remy welcomed the complaint filed by anonymous people and guaranteed that despite the anonymity of the complaint, an investigation would ensue if it was worthy.
“Take action or not take action, normally [we] know [our selves] what to do. I guarantee our work is very good,” he said, declining to comment any further until he had “received and read the complaint himself”.
Cambodian People’s Party senator Sok Kong, also director general of the Sokimex Company, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Bun Narith, general director of APSARA Authority, which oversees conservation efforts at the Angkor Wat temple complex, dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“Law experts prepared the contract and there were also IMF representatives participating in making the contract [between the government and Sokimex],” Bun Narith said.
When asked how much revenue Sok Kong’s company gains per annum from Angkor Wat, Bun Narith declined to comment in detail, but said that in 2011, both shareholders in Sokimex and the government received more than US$40 million.
5 comments:
His son, daughter, nephew drove luxury car range rover sport while khmers poor people don't even have rice grain to cook rice soup...?
This scumbag involved in illegally logging business too...with RACF people!
He is the most corrupt, doing business with Sok An. Look, he got concession to operate Angkor Wat, take control of a beach in Sihanoukville (Sokha Beach) and Bokor for free for doing a joint business with Sok An. He is a leech sucking off the blood of Khmer people.
9:23 AM. I agree, this Vietnamese Tycoon needs to leave his position as the senator. He either is a businessmen or he is a government official.
Let's all come together and take down this criminal and many others like him. Cambodia has way too many criminals and thieves in the country. So the fewer the better for all of us.
It's the only way the country can move forward and become a great nation that's
respect by all the world over.
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