Cambodia: Former Military Doctors Appeal Sentence, Prosecution Seeks Harsher Penalties

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Court of Appeal is hearing the case of two former military medical officials accused of exam fraud. On July 23, 2026, the prosecution requested harsher penalties, arguing that the lower court's sentences were too lenient. The defendants are appealing for reduced sentences. The case involves the fraudulent admission of 19 fake candidates into a medical professional training program for the 2024-2025 academic year. The defendants allegedly hired these fake candidates to take the entrance exams on behalf of 19 legitimate applicants, in exchange for payments ranging from $6,000 to $7,000 per candidate from their families. Deputy Prosecutor Chea Met told the panel of judges that the sentences imposed by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court were "too light and disproportionate" to the gravity of the offenses, which include "abuse of power and forgery of public documents," classified as serious crimes. He further stated that the accused "should receive the most severe punishment so that they refrain from committing such offenses again after being released from prison." Presiding Judge Kou Sao identified the defendants as Prom Lida, 40, a former doctor and military medical officer, and Un Chamroeun, 40, a civil servant and a second-year dental student. Prom Lida was sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on October 22, 2025, to six years in prison and fined 10 million Riel (approximately $2,500), with a vehicle obtained from the crime confiscated as state property. Un Chamroeun received a five-year prison sentence and a 10 million Riel fine for complicity in the abuse of power and forgery of public documents. The charges stem from activities between 2022 and 2025, violating Article 35 of the Law on Anti-Corruption and Article 629 of the Criminal Code. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), in collaboration with relevant authorities, apprehended the defendants after discovering that one of the fake candidates mistakenly wrote the name of the legitimate applicant on the exam paper. According to the confessions of the 19 fake candidates, they each received between $1,300 and $1,500 from Prom Lida and Un Chamroeun to take the exams in place of the real candidates, aiming to secure admission to medical studies. During the hearing, both defendants acknowledged their wrongdoing and pleaded for leniency. Prom Lida confessed that he had been involved in such offenses since 2022 until his arrest in March 2025. He stated that he received $6,000 to $7,000 from the parents of each of the 19 medical exam candidates who enlisted his help to ensure their children's success and admission to the medical training program for the 2024-2025 academic year. Lida also revealed that the remaining funds after covering the costs of hiring the fake candidates and forging documents were shared with Un Chamroeun. The Court of Appeal is scheduled to announce its verdict in early August. It is recalled that on March 1-2, 2025, the National Examination Committee for Health Sector Training organized the selection exam for basic-level professional training for the Bachelor's degree at health training institutions for the 2024-2025 academic year. Approximately 10,528 candidates participated in this examination. Information Source: CEN Cambodia