PHNOM PENH (Khmer Times): Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen have blasted The Cambodia Daily after it accused Pich Chanmony, the wife of the Premier, over accusations that Kun Nhem, Director General of the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), bribed the First Lady to postpone his retirement until 2028.
Hun Sen posted on Telegram on Friday that “Why is there opposition to everything recently, opposition newspapers claim that customs officials said Kun Nhem bribed Hun Manet’s wife to extend his retirement age until 2028.”
“I decided to retire him by 2025, but later on the request of His Excellency Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and the necessity to examine customs reform, I decided to allow His Excellency Kun Nhem to retire in 2028,” he said.
“I also decided to retire two more Deputy General Directors in 2028 to become leaders in the successful implementation of customs reform,” he said.
The remarks were made after The Cambodia Daily published on May 2 that Chanmony, the wife of Prime Minister Hun Manet, was offered a bribe by Nhem, who is also Minister delegate attached to the Prime Minister, to extend his retirement from 2025 to 2028.
Hun Sen said that this kind of reporting by The Cambodia Daily is a “stupid act” and only intends to slander his daughter-in-law.
Hun Manet said that this vile act by the Khmer-English overseas website The Cambodia Daily is fabricated information with the aim of defaming, harming and damaging his family’s reputation and dignity.
During his term as the Prime Minister, Hun Sen agreed to extend Nhem’s retirement until 2028 at the request of Pornmoniroth on December 22, 2022, he said.
“As the Head of the Royal Government of the 7th Legislature, I have the right to select and nominate a new Director General of the GDCE at any time,” Mr Hun Manet said.
“However, based on the merits of His Excellency Kun Nhem, who is an experienced, willing and hard-working official who fulfills his duties for the country, I will allow him to continue working until 2028,” he said.
Nhem said yesterday, “Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet confirmed all the correct information regarding this accusation, which they have already stated in the past. I do not need to go into more depth about this”.
“This media outlet has always had bad intentions towards the government and the accusation has no evidence or facts and all it wants to do is pursue its own political agenda,” he said.
“Its intentions are not for the good of the government and the nation. We know very well that this outlet intends to oppose the government and serve foreigners,” Nhem added.
Chanmony thanked everyone who stood up for her integrity in the face of The Cambodia Daily’s unfair allegation in a message that was shared on her official Facebook page on Saturday.
“First of all, I would like to thank all the people who came out to defend my integrity against a news outlet that unjustly maligned me on May 2,” she said.
“I am very excited that people supported me, including those who have worked with me in the past, as well as the people who follow my activities and social work, and love and trust me,” she said.
“Supporting, loving and protecting me inspires me to continue this humanitarian work for our people and our country,” Chanmony added. - Khmer Times
