SRP asks the NatAss to clarify the problem of Nguon Nhel’s advisors

Click on the SRP MPs letter in Khmer to zoom in

Nguon Nhel: Another corrupt CPP official? (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

29 August 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Who was on the list of Nguon Nhel advisors and receiving double pay?

• CPP MP Nhem Thavy, he is Nguon Nhel's brother-in-law, as a MP, he is paid more than once by the NatAss
• Hang Vichet, the director of the finance department of the NatAss secretariat, he is also paid more that once by the NatAss

A group of SRP MPs asked the National Assembly (NatAss) to explain the expense paid to the advisors of Nguon Nhel, the no. 1 NatAss vice-president. The SRP claimed that Nguon Nhel has up to 71 advisors. The SRP MPs’ letter sent to the NatAss on Friday last week noted the major expense on advisors for the NatAss leadership [from the CPP].

11 SRP MPs signed on a letter sent to Heng Samrin, the NatAss president, last Friday to ask for clarification in the major amount spent by the NatAss on advisors for the [CPP] NatAss leaders.

Son Chhay, the opposition whip, claimed today that he received the most recent news indicating that Nguon Nhel, the no. 1 CPP vice-president, has up to 71 advisors including CPP MPs and even the director of the finance department of the NatAss. Son Chhay said that, according to the pay ledger for the month of August, an amount of 100 million riels, i.e. $25,000, was spent on Nguon Nhel’s advisors alone.

The SRP MPs noted in their letter that the huge number of advisors led the NatAss to lose a lot of fund. Son Chhay claimed that other NatAss leaders seem to have a lot of advisors also. Furthermore, the SRP MP also complained about the blackout of information on the NatAss expense, especially regarding the payment to employees. This is the reason why the SRP MPs raised this issue to Heng Samrin for clarification.

Today, Nguon Nhel could not be reach to ask for clarification, he claimed that he is busy. Cheam Yeap, the CPP chairman of the NatAss finance committee, claimed that he did not see the SRP MPs’ letter yet and that he does not know how many advisors Nguon Nhel has either.

The irregularities in the NatAss spending have been heard several times already during the past 10 years, in particular involving the expense on employees. The SRP had raised the issue of blackout of information on the number of personnel employed at the NatAss secretariat.

However, Cheam Yeap rejected this fact, claiming that the NatAss did not hide anything and that the SRP MPs can learn about this information also if they so desire and if they attempt to contact the NatAss secretariat.