• Society

Kampot Police Deputy Inspector Fired Over Drug Use

• By Romdoul Chetra
• and Meng Seavmey
• December 19, 2023 8:00 PM

PHNOM PENH – Kampot Police Provincial Deputy Inspector Meas Piseth has been dismissed from his position and removed from the National Police for drug use.

The Kampot Provincial Police said in a statement released on Dec. 17 that the dismissal was following the measures in force in the national police, after Meas Piseth was caught using drugs a day before. No details were provided on the type of drug that has been used.

The Kampot Provincial Police considers Piseth's actions a disgrace to the honor of the National Police Force.

“This is a warning to all forces of the Kampot Provincial Police not to be involved in [drug use or trafficking],” the post reads.

Any police force that uses drugs will be fired from the framework of the ministry, said Interior Minister Sar Sokha on Dec. 18 while visiting a rehabilitation center in the city of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province.

“I would like to announce that all national police under the command, especially the officers of the Armed Forces of the Ministry of Interior, will not be allowed in the force anymore if they test positive for drug use,” he said.

He said the policy was designed to set an example for the younger generation of the national police force and encourage them to respect the law.

Interior Ministry deputy spokesperson Touch Sokhak, citing the minister's statement, said the policy would be highly effective. “More than 90 percent of officials want to keep their position, duty, and honor in the framework, so they will act appropriately to avoid violating the disciplines,” he said.

"Even though it will be not 100 percent effective, the measure will be still high. Implementing the policy will press the national police harder and wake them up to be more cautious of drugs," he added.

Yong Kim Eng, president of the People Center for Development and Peace, a civil society group, said he supports the dismissal.

A strict implementation of the measure will bring continuous improvement among civil servants, who must be examples for the citizens, Kim Eng told Cambodianess on Dec. 19.

"We can't have any civil servant using drugs or dealing drugs without any consideration to be conscious enough to serve the citizens," he said, adding that those individuals must not be allowed to serve again even after their punishment.

Likewise, Minister Sar Sokha said, “If we do not take this time to clean our house first, as PM Hun Manet said, we won’t have the time to clean [it later].”

He advised all national police forces under the ministry’s framework to stay away from drugs – either using or dealing – immediately to avoid losing their position in the governmental framework later when the policy is officially implemented.

This was only his warning related to drug use among the national police force, as the policy is only awaiting government approval.