Prime Minister Hun Manet has stripped Lieutenant General Sok Sok Lyhuot of his position as deputy director-general of the General Department of Immigration, demoting him to the rank of a regular officer. An official notification letter offered no explanation for his removal.
The removal was enacted through a sub-decree signed on January 8 and made public today, January 19. According to the sub-decree, the removal was made at the request of the Ministry of Interior.
Touch Sokhak, interior ministry spokesperson, stated that Lyhuot’s removal was not linked to any criminal offences, although it occurred at a time when the government is intensifying its crackdown on online scamming crimes.
“This case stems from his personal and family issues, which have affected the efficiency of the unit’s work and the discipline of the National Police,” Sokhak explained.
“These factors led the Disciplinary Council to convene a meeting and decide to submit a request to the prime minister. The prime minister made the decision based on that request after the Disciplinary Council had conducted a thorough review,” he added.
Sokhak, however, did not suggest what the “personal issues” could be.
