The Interior Ministry’s Internal Audit Department has refuted accusations that high-ranking officials extorted money from provincial officials and police officers, saying that the perpetrators were imposters.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the department said a handful of people recently posed as its officials to demand money from lower-ranking civil servants and police officers in exchange for quashing complaints of mismanagement levelled against them by the public.

“A number of imposters posed as high-ranking officials from the Interior Ministry’s Internal Audit Department in order to cheat lower-ranking officials,” it said.

The department noted that the imposters offered to help civil servants and provincial police officers deal with the complaints levelled against them in exchange for money.

“Those imposters carried out their activities at the provincial administrations of Prey Veng, Tboung Khmum, Kampong Chhnang, and Kampong Thom,” it noted. “They have also made demands for other forms of gratification, such as favours.”

General Thim Sopha, the department’s director-general, yesterday said he closely scrutinised his officials who carry out missions in the provinces and concluded they were not responsible for any forms of extortion.

“I have received reports about the alleged abuse of power and extortion by my officials,” he said. “I went through the complaints and audio recordings submitted by some local authorities on the extortions and I found that those involved are not my department officials.”

Gen Sopha said the department had yet to identify the imposters and called on local authorities who encounter abuse of power or extortion from anyone claiming to be a department official to report the matter to him.

“These activities were intended to ruin the reputation of leaders and officials at the department and the Ministry of Interior,” he noted.

Kampong Chhnang provincial Governor Chhour Chandoeun yesterday said that he was aware of the alleged extortions, but no official in his administration were victims.

However, he noted that he has received complaints from officials who received phone calls from people claiming to be high-ranking officials and offering to help them gain promotions.

“They pretended to be senior government officials and demanded money from the provincial officials,” he said. “I have instructed my officials to report such suspicious activities.”

San Chey, executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, yesterday called for a comprehensive investigation into the extortion allegations, noting that the department’s dismissal alone is not enough.

“The allegation against the department should be addressed thoroughly to ensure transparency and prevent any abuse of power,” he said. “In the past, there have been complaints of irregularities levelled against the Internal Audit Department which have not been clearly dealt with.”

In February, Gen Sopha also denied accusations of nepotism levelled against him by Khmer Rise Party president Sok Sovann Vathana Sabung, who accused him of having 22 relatives employed in his department.

At that time, Interior Minister Sar Kheng instructed relevant officials at the ministry to investigate Gen Sopha’s case and transferred two department officials who were his relatives to other units.

• Tags: extortions, high-ranking officials, Interior Ministry, Internal Audit Department