Confusion Reigns Over National Police Audit

Confusion surrounds an attempt by the Court of Appeal’s Prose­cutor General to conduct a nationwide audit of police records, with some provincial officials saying they had not even heard about the review.

Prosecutor General Ouk Savuth said yesterday he had written to all provincial prosecutors in October, asking them to report on the number of complaints made to police and military police in their province and on the number of suspects detained.

Provincial prosecutors are bound by law to lead and coordinate the operations of judicial police under their jurisdiction and have the right to examine police custody arrangements to ensure they comply with legal procedure.

Mr Savuth said yesterday that most of the provinces had already carried out the audit. But only three of seven provincial prosecutors contacted yesterday said they had even received Mr Savuth’s written request for an audit of the forces in their jurisdictions.

Prosecutors contacted yesterday from the Preah Sihanouk, Kompong Cham, Ratanakkiri and Battambang provincial courts said yesterday that they had not yet received the letter from Mr Savuth.

It was also unclear yesterday why Mr Savuth had ordered the audit on complaints to police and detentions and whether appellate prosecutors harbor concerns that provincial authorities are not investigating reported crimes.

Asked what had prompted the review, Mr Savuth referred to legal procedures authorizing him to undertake it.

In an Oct 13 letter to Kompong Cham Provincial Court Prosecutor Huot Vuthy, Mr Savuth said the examination of police records was necessary to ensure the enforcement of criminal procedures enacted in 2007.

The letter requested an examination of the lists of complaints and lists of detention from the provincial and district offices of both the civilian and military police. Military police are legally empowered to work as judicial police, who work under prosecutors’ instructions.

“In case of observing serious mistakes violating the provisions stipulated in this code, committed by the judicial police officials during their duties, please make a report sending to the Court of Appeal Prosecutor-General to take action according to disciplinary procedures,” the letter states.

Yesterday Mr Savuth said he could not recall which provinces had completed the audit.

“In most of the provinces, we have already done” the audit, he said.

Though other provincial prosecutors said they had not heard of the audit, Siem Reap prosecutor Ty Sovannthal said yesterday that he had received the letter from Mr Savuth “about six months ago” and had been preparing monthly reports for the Prosecutor-General ever since.

“We keep doing audits and report to him every month,” Mr Sovannthal said. “The police in Siem Reap are always making fine reports to me every month without my asking.”

Deputy Phnom Penh Prosecutor Sok Roeun said that he had received the letter from Mr Savuth last month, adding that he had since sent requests for information to civilian and military police offices around the capital.

Svay Rieng Prosecutor Keou Sothea said that he received the letter about a month ago.

“I have not done any audit, due to [the fact] I have just returned from Vietnam,” he said.

Lieutenant General Khieu Sopheak, the spokesman at the Interior Ministry, and Kirth Chantharith, the spokesman for the National Police commissariat, both said yesterday that they had not heard about the audit.

“I was not aware of that,” Lt Gen Sopheak said.

  (Additional reporting by Van Roeun)

 

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