American MICHAEL BERG (AmCham Board Member) Caught on Video Allegedly Trying to Bribe Police in Cambodia
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:18 pm
A woman posted a video appearing to show the owner of The Cove in Phnom Penh (and ex-owner of Khmer440) Michael Berg attempting to bribe police with the ol' money-handshake routine.
The woman alleges that she was verbally abused by the owners of The Cove before she called the police, because they were falsely claiming her vaccine card was not genuine and were trying to force her to pay for her food that she now didn't want to pay for after all of this.
She says she was filming the incident when Michael Berg tried to secretly pass off some money to the police by palming it, and the police refused to accept what appears to be cash.
"I was verbally abused by the manager and two co owners. I was not asked to show my vaccine paperwork until I sat down and ordered my food. Once my food arrived I was verbally abused by the manager who falsely accused me of being unvaccinated, though his staff never asked me or my companion for any proof of vaccination when I entered or before allowing me to order food and have a drink. The manager and the owners were not wearing masks and shouting in my face. If they are so concerned about covid and following the regulations, it's strange to not wear a mask. One rule for them and another for the customers. I agreed to show my vaccine paper but that I would choose to leave afterwards and without paying the bill because the manager was abusive. One of the owners then accused me of having fake vaccine papers and loudly announced it to the entire bar that my name was not on the paper. Once outside I was then threatened by the owners. I was told that "twenty people would come to beat me" for being unvaccinated and I would be sorry. I called the police. The police verified my papers. Absolutely disgusting experience for the sake of some fish tacos."
On Michael Berg's LinkedIn page he says he's currently the Business Development Manager for RMA Group Company Limited, but doesn't list being an owner of The Cove.
Michael Berg is also on the board of governors for AmCham Cambodia (The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia), where he's listed as General Manager for Jaguar Land Rover.
Presumably, AmCham Cambodia doesn't approve of their board members trying to bribe Cambodian police officers after someone calls the police on them; as of right now he's still a member. He was elected to be on the board for a term of two years, and governors on the board are eligible for reelection after their 2 years is finished.
Here is the bio they give him:
Michael Berg joined RMA Cambodia as the General Manager for the Special Products Division in May 2017, where he was responsible for a number of subdivisions and brands, as well as incubating new products. He was in charge of the Material & Handling Division (with JLG aerial/boom lifts from the U.S., TCM Forklifts from Japan, and MS Pallets and Starke racking from Malaysia); Cleaning Equipment (Powerboss and Minuteman from the U.S. and Hako from Germany); and Electrical Testing Equipment (Megger Group from Germany and the U.S.). In December of 2019 he was promoted to Business Development Manager for RMA Cambodia. Mr. Berg has extensive experience in supporting senior leaders in business and the U.S. government while managing several projects, including supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)’s Asia/Pacific International Affairs Division and the multibillion dollar SM-3 development project. Notably, he received various awards such as MDA Contractor of the Year Nominee; MDA Policy Planning Team Award; and DAU Corporate Recognition Award...'
The woman alleges that she was verbally abused by the owners of The Cove before she called the police, because they were falsely claiming her vaccine card was not genuine and were trying to force her to pay for her food that she now didn't want to pay for after all of this.
She says she was filming the incident when Michael Berg tried to secretly pass off some money to the police by palming it, and the police refused to accept what appears to be cash.
"I was verbally abused by the manager and two co owners. I was not asked to show my vaccine paperwork until I sat down and ordered my food. Once my food arrived I was verbally abused by the manager who falsely accused me of being unvaccinated, though his staff never asked me or my companion for any proof of vaccination when I entered or before allowing me to order food and have a drink. The manager and the owners were not wearing masks and shouting in my face. If they are so concerned about covid and following the regulations, it's strange to not wear a mask. One rule for them and another for the customers. I agreed to show my vaccine paper but that I would choose to leave afterwards and without paying the bill because the manager was abusive. One of the owners then accused me of having fake vaccine papers and loudly announced it to the entire bar that my name was not on the paper. Once outside I was then threatened by the owners. I was told that "twenty people would come to beat me" for being unvaccinated and I would be sorry. I called the police. The police verified my papers. Absolutely disgusting experience for the sake of some fish tacos."
On Michael Berg's LinkedIn page he says he's currently the Business Development Manager for RMA Group Company Limited, but doesn't list being an owner of The Cove.
Michael Berg is also on the board of governors for AmCham Cambodia (The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia), where he's listed as General Manager for Jaguar Land Rover.
Presumably, AmCham Cambodia doesn't approve of their board members trying to bribe Cambodian police officers after someone calls the police on them; as of right now he's still a member. He was elected to be on the board for a term of two years, and governors on the board are eligible for reelection after their 2 years is finished.
Here is the bio they give him:
Michael Berg joined RMA Cambodia as the General Manager for the Special Products Division in May 2017, where he was responsible for a number of subdivisions and brands, as well as incubating new products. He was in charge of the Material & Handling Division (with JLG aerial/boom lifts from the U.S., TCM Forklifts from Japan, and MS Pallets and Starke racking from Malaysia); Cleaning Equipment (Powerboss and Minuteman from the U.S. and Hako from Germany); and Electrical Testing Equipment (Megger Group from Germany and the U.S.). In December of 2019 he was promoted to Business Development Manager for RMA Cambodia. Mr. Berg has extensive experience in supporting senior leaders in business and the U.S. government while managing several projects, including supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)’s Asia/Pacific International Affairs Division and the multibillion dollar SM-3 development project. Notably, he received various awards such as MDA Contractor of the Year Nominee; MDA Policy Planning Team Award; and DAU Corporate Recognition Award...'