Surprise As Land Trader/Sacked BHQ Officer Gets Promoted

Sihanoukville:. On February 17, 2020, Mr. Thorn Virak, a well-known land trader, received a letter from the Bodyguard Command respecting the Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province wishes, stating that Mr. Thorn Virak had been removed from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) management list.

In a letter dated December 11, 2020 (*maybe wrong date in the source), the Bodyguard Command stated that Mr. Thorn Virak did whatever he wanted, disobeyed the unit’s assignments and discipline many times, and did not listen to educational messages.

At the same time, Mr. Thorn Virak recently is alleged to have swindled many people in the purchase of land in Sihanoukville, which brought the unit into disrepute.

The bodyguard command asked the Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province to take legal action if Mr. Thorn Virak used the unit name to commit any illegal acts.

Meanwhile, on December 9, 2020, the King issued a Royal Decree appointing Mr. Thorn Virak as an advisor to Samdech Krala Hom Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, with the same status as Undersecretary of State.

People in Sihanoukville have complained and were shocked to learn that Mr. Thorn Virak, who had been involved in a number of land-related scandals, had been appointed adviser to HE Sar Kheng. Separately, according to another source, Mr. Thorn Virak is currently facing many criminal cases at the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. PPR