Chantra

【Hun Manet to AFP: Scam Industry "Destroying Our Honest Economy"】 In a rare interview with international media from Brussels, Cambodian PM Hun Manet told AFP that scam networks are wrecking Cambodia's legitimate economy and reputation. "The scam network, what we call the black economy, is destroying our honest economy. It has put a bad reputation on Cambodia," he said. "This is the reason why we need to clean this out." Hun Manet conceded scam centres had indirectly boosted some business activity but denied the government profited. "Yes, the scam centre may produce some direct result to real estate, to some investment, the building, the buying, how to make the centres," he said. "But most of the proceeds do not go into the government of Cambodia." He also pushed back on claims Cambodia's GDP depends on the scam industry. "A lot of people were saying that the GDP of Cambodia relies on the scam. No. We rely on pure economies such as tourism, manufacturing, and others." On Chen Zhi, his former adviser arrested and extradited to China in January, Hun Manet claimed ignorance. "We did not know that he was the kingpin." Before the US indictment, Chen was "just a businessman, contributing to the economy." Hun Manet added: "Whatever the activities, we (did) not know." Industry experts have questioned the sincerity of Cambodia's crackdown, pointing to alleged links between officials and cyberscam networks. A USIP report estimated annual returns from cyberscamming in Cambodia at $12.5 billion, roughly half the country's formal GDP.