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Three Overseas Affairs Ministry officers have been charged with fraudulent embezzlement, abuse of energy and cash laundering for allegedly issuing greater than 6,000 visas which had been utilized by foreigners concerned in on-line fraud operations, authorities stated Monday.
In accordance with Chhay Hong, deputy prosecutor and spokesperson for the Phnom Penh Municipal Courtroom, Tho Samnang was charged with the offenses, together with intentional destruction, underneath a number of totally different legal guidelines. These embrace Article 601 of the Felony Code, Articles 32 and 35 of the Legislation on Anti-Corruption, and Articles 3 and 38 of the Legislation on Anti-Cash Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism 2020.
Nop Rotha and Yos Rane confronted expenses, reminiscent of conspiracy to commit intentional destruction, fraudulent embezzlement, abuse of energy and cash laundering underneath the identical legal guidelines.
Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) spokesperson Soy Chanvichet stated Samnang, previously a director-general on the ministry, and officers Rotha and Rane had been despatched to the court docket on Sunday in reference to the unlawful issuance of visas to foreigners.
He added that the ACU investigation discovered that the illegally-issued visas had been utilized by foreigners who had been criminals in on-line fraud.
On August 20, 2026, Samnang was introduced in for questioning by the ACU on the allegations of unlawful visa issuance. The ACU introduced Samnang’s arrest after his household filed a lacking particular person criticism.
The case comes as Cambodia continues to crack down on the web rip-off trade, which has allegedly made the “nation a hub for transnational crime syndicates” which authorities and researchers say defraud tens of billions of {dollars} a yr from victims worldwide. The United Nations estimated in 2023 that greater than 100,000 folks from dozens of nations have been subjected to compelled or coerced labor in rip-off operations in Cambodia alone.
Samnang was dismissed from his place as Director-Normal on the ministry’s Normal Division of Authorized, Consular and Border Affairs by a royal decree issued by Performing Head of State Hun Sen on April 28, 2026. Later, Samnang was appointed as advisor to the ministry, with a rank equal to director-general.
Sin Putheary, government director of Transparency Worldwide Cambodia, welcomed ACU’s enforcement of the anti corruption legislation and for taking authorized measures in opposition to officers who violate the legislation. Their motion demonstrates that the legislation is efficient, Putheary instructed CamboJA Information.
“The general public particularly desires to see this legislation enforced broadly and constantly sooner or later in all circumstances,” she stated. “We respect [ACU’s] enforcement of the legislation, to research and determine any irregularities in public curiosity, in addition to enforcement throughout society.”
The federal government says it has shut down tons of of rip-off compounds and deported tens of 1000’s of rip-off staff, but it surely continues to face criticism for failing to guard trafficking victims and for not performing in opposition to senior officers sanctioned by america over alleged hyperlinks to the trade.
Ministry spokesperson Chann Ratana didn’t instantly reply to CamboJA Information on the time of publication.
