Traffic Police Not Getting Fair Share, Says Sar Kheng

Khmer Times/Ros Chanveasna and Jonathan Cox Monday, 16 May 2016 255 views

A traffic law implemented this year gives traffic police the right to keep 70 percent of every fine they dole out, but the Interior Minister said yesterday that higher ranking officers are pocketing this money instead.

Interior Minister Sar Kheng criticized corrupt police chiefs for keeping money that should be distributed to officers, saying they would be fined and removed from their positions if they were caught embezzling funds.

“They will be penalized or demoted if they don’t distribute the money to officers,” said Mr. Kheng at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the establishment of the National Police Force.

The new traffic law was intended to give police an incentive to fine drivers instead of collecting bribes. Instead of paying on the spot, drivers caught breaking the law would be required to pay at the police station, and officers would be able to supplement their small salaries with 70 percent of every fine.

But Mr. Kheng said officers are not always fairly compensated for the tickets they write.

Mr. Kheng did not comment on how he knew that officers are illegally pocketing their subordinates’ pay, and Run Rothveasna, director of the Department of Traffic Police and Public Order, declined to comment.

Mr. Rothveasna did, however, explain that officers are supposed to receive a bonus deposited into their bank accounts every three months based on how many tickets they issued. When asked how much money the average police officer can expect as a bonus every three months, he said he did not know. The bonus is distributed by the municipal or provincial government, and there are no central records of the traffic fines collected.

“The amount of money collected depends on the province and the municipality,” he said. “In Stung Treng or Kep, the number of violators caught will be smaller than in big cities like Phnom Penh. I can’t calculate how much is sent to the police officers.”

An officer in charge of a late-night checkpoint told Khmer Times last week that he and his men collected a share of the fines that they doled out every day, but he also would not say how much they had collected after the first three-month period elapsed.

Though he would not comment on whether officers are skimming money from the fines collected, Mr. Rothveasna said he agreed in principle that high-ranking officers should be penalized for trying to pocket money.

“If the ministry finds police chiefs in the municipalities or provinces are keeping an unfair amount of money, they will face penalties,” he said.

Traffic analyst Ear Chairya said the situation was endemic of a larger problem with how the government is run.

“I think this problem could be due to the ineffectiveness of the government budget system,” he said.

hanno wrote:I am flabbergasted!!!

Luigi wrote:NO DATA BASE!.... REPEAT!..... NO DATA BASE!

When I receive my first ticket I think will go pay it just to see how it works. Nah..that isn't going to happen.
The Griswold family tours Cambo, receive multiple citations. When their 30 day holiday is over I am sure they will do the right thing & remit their payment through the post.
Dillard Fuckwit, long time expat receives multiple citations over a year. Dillard will shred them with a scornful laugh.
I will use them for a coaster.

NO DATA BASE!