Three police officers in Mudon Township accused of extortion

March 21, 2018

Three police officers from Kamarwat Police Station, Mudon Township, are accused of extortion after demanding money and a vehicle from an Ah Bit village resident.

Just after midnight on January 18^th 2018, three Kamarwat police officers, including Sub-Inspector Naing Phyo Aung, knocked on the door of Daw Aye Myint’s house in Ah Bit village, Sat Twe village tract, Mudon Township, demanding tax money and a vehicle.

“Three policemen came to our house and Naing Phyo Aung said we had opened a shop without paying tax and that they had come to collect the tax. Then they also said that we had hit a person from Kamarwat Town with our truck and that they came to take our truck too. If we didn’t want them to take our truck, they told us to give them money for that,” said Daw Aye Myint.

She added, “I replied that we wouldn’t allow anyone to take our truck as we did not hit anyone with it. We couldn’t afford to pay money either, so we just said bring us to the person that we [allegedly] hit and we could discuss the problem and find a solution with them.”

However, according Daw Aye Myint, the sub-inspector refused to do so and also denied her request to wait until morning when her husband would return home.

Daw Aye Myint and her daughter were afraid as the three police officers refused to leave until they received some money.

“If I didn’t have 500,000 kyat (US $373.42), they said to pay them 300,000 kyat (US $224.05). They were waiting for me to give them money and I only had 50,000 kyat (US $37.34). I gave them all of the money that I had. They left our house around 3 am after they took 50,000 kyat from me. I think they just came and demanded money from me without us doing anything wrong,” said Daw Aye Myint.

Later that morning, Daw Aye Myint and her husband went to the Kamarwat Police Station and reported the previous night’s incident. That same day, they also sent a letter to their representative in the Mon State Parliament.

According to Daw Aye Myint, Naing Phyo Aung returned three times a month and a half later to apologize to her and her family.

“The perpetrator requested that I rewrite the report [we submitted to the Kamarwat Police Station] and say that whole situation had been made up and that I was just joking,” said Daw Aye Myint.

Daw Aye Myint also heard that the perpetrators had been punished, however she has not been told more than that and she has still not received her money back.

This isn’t the first time Naing Phyo Aung has been accused of taking advantage of his position. Reports have surfaced that he sometimes does not pay after filling up his motorbike at gas stations, neither for cold drinks. However, most villagers choose to remain silent, as the cost of speaking out often outweighs the cost of what he takes.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News