PHNOM PENH: Several officials from the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Cybercrime Department have been disciplined after a complaint from a member of the public that they used disrespectful language with a scam victim who attempted to file a complaint about an illegal loan.
The complainant told a Fresh News journalist that the officials had denigrated her for falling for a scam, “victim-blaming” her for her mistake.
The department issued a public response to the complaint, reiterating that it frequently reminds its officers to maintain professional ethics when dealing with the public.
The woman, who remains anonymous, told journalist Van Saray that she had filed a complaint, but felt like she had been disrespected by the officials because she was not a well-dressed member of the elite.
“I went to the cybercrime office in person. I think that because I was not dressed in fancy clothes, they felt like they could scold me,” she said.
She explained that the people working in the department, both the officials and their managers, had asked her why she took an illegal loan, and accused her of understanding the terms of the loan then filing a complaint so she would not have to repay it.
“They said ‘That's the policy, why were you going to borrow and not repay?’ They judged me so harshly. That’s what I experienced firsthand, just them talking back and forth,” she said.
She noted that even though the people working in that section were younger than her, they used “harsh language” and appeared to side with those who had money.
The Post has heard from other members of the public who say they were demeaned by officials while attempting to file complaints.
The department announced that after seeing the story, they contacted the woman and invited her to come in and file a complaint.
“The officers who used inappropriate language while receiving a complaint have been educated on the correct way to fulfil their duty. In the past, our department leaders have frequently reminded their subordinates to carry out their work with the ethics of national police officers,” it said.
Last year, minister of interior Sar Sokha appealed to the public not to take out online loans, as they are often illegal. He warned that borrowers who take out such loans often face additional pressures and advised victims to file complaints with the authorities as soon as possible. The National Bank of Cambodia and the National Police have also previously announced measures to prevent the practise of offering illegal loans. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
