Records of a security camera on April 20 revealed that the safe was stolen at around 3am, although the minister only discovered the theft on April 24 when office resumed, said Minister U Sai Kyaw Zaw on April 25.

He said investigations are being carried out by police at the Criminal Investigation Department.

“As Shan Ethnic Affairs Minister, I have a safe to keep my own money and there were neither documents nor finances related to the regional government in it.

“I have to make a list of things stolen. I haven’t filed a claim for now because only my own money was stolen. But I have to file a claim if there were government’s finances in the safe.

“Police will find the culprits. This is not housebreaking because none of the locks in my office have been broken. It is a possibility that they used a duplicate key,” he added.

Both the interior and exterior of the regional government office has been under police guard and security cameras have been installed everywhere for security concerns.

He added that the offenders changed position of the cameras by using bamboo poles.

“I assume that the offender may be a trusted person because cameras which have been installed at the office were changed to an upward position. And they may know well about security cameras because camera angles have been fitted into the right position. But all had been changed upward at the time the crime was committed,” said U Sai Kyaw Zaw.

He said security cameras installed at the regional government office will be repaired, adding that smart cards will also be made and only with them, will entry into the building be allowed.

“There are about 17 CCTV cameras installed at the office. One of the cameras set up at the entrance had been in an upward position.

“This happened on April 20 but we knew about it on April 24 when the office resumed. I thought it was a joke when I heard about it at first. But I knew later that this really happened,” said an employee from the regional government office.

Since the new government took office, things from minister offices at the regional government building have been occasionally stolen. Earlier this year, hand phones from the office of the regional general administration department next to the regional government office were also stolen after locks were broken.

 

– Translation by Zar Zar Soe