Cambodian Prime Minister Blames World Bank's Representative Over Alleged Corruption

Cambodian Prime Minister Blames World Bank's Representative Over
Alleged Corruption
Mony Dara
Phnom Penh
14/07/2006


A Cambodian government top official puts the blames on the World Bank
for its corruption charges, in front of this bank's reprensative, says
this head of state's aide.

The World Bank and the Cambodian government last month exchanged words
regarding corruption in the amount of $64 million 200,000, in which the
bank decides to suspend 3 projects in a number of important ministries.


Prime Minister Hun Sen and World Bank's Board of Director's official in
Cambodia, Joong Kyung Choi agreed to meet Wednesday afternoon for
almost 3 hours at the Council of Ministers.

Referring to the meeting, Mr. Hun Sen's adviser Eang Sophallet says
that Mr. Hun Sen compared the bank's charges to an absentia verdict,
like that of the Khmer Rouge regime's, in which the bank condemns the
government, to refund the money without any evidences or witnesses.

Mr. Hun Sen says that the bank should provide witnesses and evidence so
the Camdodian side can investigate to find the persons involved to
bring them to justice, rather than a conviction going by a-three page
document which was just a suit, not a verdict. He says that the World
Bank considers this as an in absentia verdict to convict Cambodia,
without any protests from this country.

Mr. Joong says that the World Bank Department of Institutional
Integrity's investigation cannot be 100% right. The bank on Thursday
issued a statement on behalf of Mr. Joong, says the World Bank news
official Bou Saroeun.

Mr. Bou Saroeun says that his office has not received any information
regarding this yet, but that the representative has not assessed or
given any judgement on the quality of the World Bank Department of
Institutional Integrity'sinvestigations yet.

Mr. Bou Saroeun declines comment about the comparison of the World
Bank's in absentia verdict to the Khmer Rouge regime's conviction of
its victims.

Opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP)'s legislator and Director of the
National Assembly's committee of foreign affairs, international
cooperation, and information, Son Chhay says that Mr. Hun Sen's
comparison is groundless, because the World Bank's activities are
conducted for the Cambodian people and societies' benefits so that they
will be responsible (citizens) and to better their qualities of life.
He says that this kind of comparison cannot solve corruption problems
in Cambodia.

NGO Licadho director Pung Chhiv Kek says that the government should
inform the public about the corruption investigation procedure and the
World Bank's alledged corruptions, letting them know where it is
headed, and about the results.

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