Cambodia Bar Exam Application Fraud: ACU Uncovers 3 Cases

The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of Cambodia has discovered three individuals who used forged documents among the applicants for the 21st Bar Examination. The ACU will summon these three individuals for questioning, and if sufficient evidence of criminal elements is found, they will be referred to the court for legal proceedings, according to a press release from ACU spokesperson Soy Chanvichet. The discovery was made during the ACU's verification of all applicant documents, as the ACU is an observer of all stages of the examination, from application submission to the announcement of results. The spokesperson did not disclose the identities of the three individuals. The 21st Bar Examination has not yet taken place; it is currently in the stage of selling and receiving applications. Originally, the application period was set from August 3 to September 3. By the end of the application period, a total of 661 applications were sold, and 574 individuals submitted their applications. To accommodate candidates who missed the initial deadline, the Bar Association of Cambodia decided to extend the application period for a second time from September 7 to September 25. Ms. Ou Sitha, a senior official at the ACU leading the team to verify applicant documents, stated that all candidates applying for the right to take the examination must adhere to five conditions set by the Bar Association: 1. Candidates must be Cambodian citizens. 2. Candidates must possess a law degree or an equivalent legal diploma. 3. Candidates must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, or disciplined for administrative or disciplinary offenses such as removal from office, dismissal, or revocation of titles for acts contrary to honor or integrity. 4. Candidates must not have personal bankruptcy declared by a court. 5. Candidates must have sufficient morality and physical fitness to perform their duties. Based on the results of the document verification, the ACU team found three candidates who had used forged documents. In a press release issued on September 14, the spokesperson stated the immediate measures: 'The Anti-Corruption Unit will summon the three candidates to clarify at the unit to continue the relevant investigation procedures. In cases where sufficient elements of offenses are found, the Anti-Corruption Unit will build a case file and submit it to the court for legal action according to the law.' While the process of selling and receiving applications for the 21st Bar Examination continues, the ACU urges all candidates to respect the law and relevant regulations, and to use only genuine documents and correct information when applying. The ACU warns that any act of document forgery or use of forged documents will be dealt with according to the law without exception. Article 629 of the Cambodian Penal Code on forgery of public documents states that forgery committed in official documents or documents issued by public authorities to record rights, identity, or status, or to grant permission, shall be punished by imprisonment from 5 to 10 years. Article 630 states that the use of forged public documents shall be punished by imprisonment from 2 to 5 years and a fine of 4 million to 10 million riels.