AAP
A crooked former adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is pleading with the Australian government to grant him asylum after he exposed official corruption in his home country.
Heng Peov, who was also the nation's former police commissioner, is in hiding after fleeing Cambodia, fearing he will be killed if he returns.
Mr Peov claims to have evidence of official corruption in Cambodia involving chronic bribery, drug smuggling and murder at the highest levels.
His wife and family had been placed under house arrest in Phnom Penh and his assets had been seized, Mr Peov's lawyer, David Chen, said.
Mr Peov wants Australia to accept him as a political refugee, as his adoptive parents are French nationals living in Australia.
A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed his office had received a letter from Mr Peov requesting ministerial intervention in his case.
"It's come to (Mr Downer's) office and he will consider that," the spokesman said.
Mr Peov requested Mr Downer's intervention after the Australian High Commission in Singapore last week turned him away, insisting he apply for asylum through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
"I'm in hiding and I cannot tell you where I am at this stage because I'm worried about my life," Mr Peov told AAP from a secret location.
"I cannot go back to Cambodia because I fear I will be killed.
"I know too much about what's going on there with corruption and illegal activity."
Mr Peov fled Cambodia on July 23 after being accused of charges linking him to murder, for which Interpol is seeking his arrest, according to his lawyer.
In a prepared statement, Mr Peov said he was innocent of the "trumped-up" charges.
"I believe that it was my consistent efforts to eradicate the rampant corruption in Cambodia, my support for the transformation of Cambodia into a democratic society and my position against systemic human rights violations in the country which has resulted in the circumstances I have found myself in," he said.
"If I have to die for my beliefs and my country I stand ready and willing to do so."
Mr Peov concedes he has taken bribes, including receiving a four-wheel drive in exchange for covering up the seizure of seven tonnes of cannabis belonging to a company owned by a friend of Hun Sen's.
"I admit that sometimes, against my better judgment, I did turn a blind eye to corruption around me or received some benefits from such activities that went on," he said.
Mr Chen said the Australian government had gone to great lengths to help Asian countries eradicate corruption, and should be doing all it could to help his client.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it could not confirm or deny if it had received an application from Mr Peov for a protection visa.
Heng Peov, who was also the nation's former police commissioner, is in hiding after fleeing Cambodia, fearing he will be killed if he returns.
Mr Peov claims to have evidence of official corruption in Cambodia involving chronic bribery, drug smuggling and murder at the highest levels.
His wife and family had been placed under house arrest in Phnom Penh and his assets had been seized, Mr Peov's lawyer, David Chen, said.
Mr Peov wants Australia to accept him as a political refugee, as his adoptive parents are French nationals living in Australia.
A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed his office had received a letter from Mr Peov requesting ministerial intervention in his case.
"It's come to (Mr Downer's) office and he will consider that," the spokesman said.
Mr Peov requested Mr Downer's intervention after the Australian High Commission in Singapore last week turned him away, insisting he apply for asylum through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
"I'm in hiding and I cannot tell you where I am at this stage because I'm worried about my life," Mr Peov told AAP from a secret location.
"I cannot go back to Cambodia because I fear I will be killed.
"I know too much about what's going on there with corruption and illegal activity."
Mr Peov fled Cambodia on July 23 after being accused of charges linking him to murder, for which Interpol is seeking his arrest, according to his lawyer.
In a prepared statement, Mr Peov said he was innocent of the "trumped-up" charges.
"I believe that it was my consistent efforts to eradicate the rampant corruption in Cambodia, my support for the transformation of Cambodia into a democratic society and my position against systemic human rights violations in the country which has resulted in the circumstances I have found myself in," he said.
"If I have to die for my beliefs and my country I stand ready and willing to do so."
Mr Peov concedes he has taken bribes, including receiving a four-wheel drive in exchange for covering up the seizure of seven tonnes of cannabis belonging to a company owned by a friend of Hun Sen's.
"I admit that sometimes, against my better judgment, I did turn a blind eye to corruption around me or received some benefits from such activities that went on," he said.
Mr Chen said the Australian government had gone to great lengths to help Asian countries eradicate corruption, and should be doing all it could to help his client.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it could not confirm or deny if it had received an application from Mr Peov for a protection visa.
9 comments:
The fight between Cambodian corruption Lords has started.
We'll see who's who.
Once he got an asylum he would be quiet and everything would be back to the norm. They should not give him this status and he should be back to Cambodia so he can reveal more evidences against his boss and other members.
If he returns back to Cambodia, Heng Poev will be assasinated just like Chea Vitchear. If he remains asylum in Australia, perhaps he has chance to reveal the true.
let have UN trail for Hun Sen Government, forget about Khmerouge!
if Mr. Heng Peov is revealing the truth, then I applaud his courage and should deserve the aslym status. No, this corruption case will not go away even if Australia grants to Mr. Heng Peov. It is another evidence against Hun Sen's regime. Hun Sen is guilty as HELL. Hun Sen cannot and will not rule to eternity. Khmer will try Hun Sen like Indonesia tried Suharto, even if Suharto was not in power. Khmers will dig up Hun Sen's grave even if he died for the trial against humanity and against Khmer people. Similar case in Argentina on Pinnoche's case. We khmers will one day put Hun Sen and his gangs on trial once and for all. If it is really true, we Khmer need people like Heng Peov to provide further evidence on Hun Sen's mafia scheme. Jey Yo Cheat Khmer!
"If I have to die for my beliefs and my country I stand ready and willing to do so." What's a laugh!
How can he stands ready when he is hiding in Singapor. It is the time he achieves what he has done.
This could be our chance to stirr things up within the CPP. I think this is good for us. The only thing Heng Peov is afraid of is his family back home. If we can provide security to his family, Mr. Heng Peov will not afraid to reveals all the CPP dirty activities and corrupted gangs to the surface. Lets hope this will continue and more names will pop up, hopefully, Ah Hun Sen.
LB
Get all the evidents first and then shoot him right in the penis, or cut off its head and send to his family in Cambodia. Cambodians have suffered enough already because of people like him. It's pay back time.
All of the evidents that Heng Pov has hidden in his house just a small fish. If Australia allows him to asylum it's better to send him back to the country. There are a lot of corrupt government taking bribe and send their children to United States just for studing. But most of them not even know how to read, they come here to buy someone to marry them and stay permanently and then they'll sponsor their corrupt parents to live here. This what the system do in Cambodia. In order to catch a big fish we must use a good bait. Right now his family( Heng Pov) in trouble but who care. He killed a lot innocents, so it's time for their party to confront each other and face the world of justice. Hun Sen has to shut up and find a place in Cuba to live in order to avoid the judment day. Go World Bank Go, it's time for you to take money back plus interest.
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