KAMPONG THOM: Commissioner of the National Police, General Sar Thet, issued a decree on September 11, removing Lt. Col. Hong Sarom from his newly appointed post as the Stoung District’s Chief of Police after his criminal past surfaced on social media.

The dismissal was based on an eight-year-old crime in which the Lieutenant Colonel was involved in a gold jewelry heist in Stoung Market that took place in broad daylight on March 8, 2015.

The removal came after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet requested an investigation into the man, who had previously been booked on charges and whose mug shot had been circulating on social media. He then ordered a thorough review of individuals before they are appointed to state institutions. "I would like to see a thorough examination and evaluation of the personalities of each individual before making appointments in state institutions, both civilian and armed forces, both nationally and regionally," he wrote.