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Prison chief, officers suspended in Cambodia inmates’ phone scandal

The suspension came after a video went viral, showing a group of prisoners using smartphones in a crowded cell.

• March 13, 2026
Cambodian prison
Cambodian prison(Credit: Al Jazeera )

Cambodia has suspended a provincial prison chief and three other prison officers after a recently leaked video clip purportedly showed a crowd of prisoners using smartphones.

Interior minister Sar Sokha signed an order to suspend them from their jobs on Tuesday, and a copy of the order was publicised on Friday.

The suspension came after a video clip went viral on social media last month, showing a group of prisoners using smartphones in a crowded cell.

Inmates are strictly prohibited from using personal phones in the south-east Asian country.

Its prisons are home to 57,000 inmates, according to the interior ministry. 

(Xinhua/NAN)

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