Cambodia: Former Military Medical Officers Sentenced for Exam Fraud

The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal, on August 4, 2026, upheld the prison sentences for two former military medical officers convicted of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme involving 19 impostors taking entrance exams for medical vocational training. The court confirmed the initial sentences of 5 to 6 years imprisonment for each individual. According to Presiding Judge Kov Sov, the convicted individuals are Prom Lida, 40, a doctor and former military medical officer, and Un Chamroeun, 40, a civil servant and second-year dental student. In the initial ruling on October 22, 2025, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Prom Lida, identified as the mastermind, to six years in prison and a fine of 10 million riels (approximately $2,500 USD), with one vehicle, deemed proceeds of the crime, confiscated to the state. Un Chamroeun was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 10 million riels for complicity in abuse of power and document forgery. The two were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in collaboration with relevant authorities. They were charged with abuse of power and forgery of public documents, offenses allegedly committed between 2022 and 2025. The scheme was uncovered when one of the impostor candidates mistakenly wrote the name of the real candidate they were impersonating on an exam paper. The impostors reportedly received between $1,300 and $1,500 USD each from Prom Lida and Un Chamroeun to take the exams in place of the actual applicants. During the hearing on July 23, 2026, both defendants acknowledged their involvement and requested leniency. Prom Lida confessed to the fraudulent activities, stating he received between $6,000 and $7,000 USD from the parents of each of the 19 medical exam candidates to ensure their children's success. He further stated that the remaining funds after expenses for the impostors and document forgery were split with Un Chamroeun. The fraudulent exams were part of the national selection process for the basic vocational training program (bachelor's level) in the health sector for the 2024-2025 academic year, held on March 1-2, 2025, in Phnom Penh. Over 10,528 candidates participated in this examination. Source: CEN Cambodia