The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday charged and jailed a former Major General Police Officer in the Ministry of Interior for cheating more than $50,000 from three people in return for securing the trio police jobs in 2021.

The accused Major General Eng Saroeun, 54, the former Deputy Chief of the Fire Department in the Ministry of Interior and a resident from Chom Chao I commune in Phnom Penh’s Por Senchey district was charged with “Fraud” under Articles 377 and 378 of the Criminal Code.

The accused is in temporary detention in PJ prison, Phnom Penh, but faces a jail term from six months to three years if convicted.

Lieutenant Colonel Meng Savuth, deputy chief of the crimes investigation office at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police, said that Maj Gen Saroeun was arrested on March 18, following the court’s arrest warrant.

Lt Col Savuth said that in July 2021, Maj Gen Saroeun, who was then a Deputy Chief of the Fire Department in the Ministry of Interior, promised three civilians – Try Visal, Son Panha, and Ouk Kearatna, jobs as police officers within the National Police framework.

To secure the police jobs, Maj Gen Saroeun told the three victims to pay him $17,000 each, and promised that they would become police officers within a month after receiving payment.

He added that on September 17, 2021, the three victims paid $51,000 to Maj Gen Saroeun because they trusted him as he claimed that he knew many high-ranking police officiers working at the National Police.

“After Maj Gen Eng Saroeun received payment from the victims, he was unable to find a job for them as he had promised,” Lt Col Savuth said.

“When the victims demanded their money back, the accused did not refund it,” he said.

He said that to reclaim their money, the victims later sued Maj Gen Saroeun at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on March 3, which led to his arrest on March 18.

• Tags: phony job scam, Senior policeman