By Douglas Gillison and Phann Ana
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov has told Australian media and his lawyer that he has information about drug smuggling, corruption and murder at the highest levels of the Cambodian government, according to reports published Monday.
Interviewed at a secret location, Heng Pov claimed that he fled Cambodia to seek political asylum after refusing orders to kill political dissidents in Cambodia, according to the reports.
Heng Pov also said that he had asked Australian authorities in Singapore to grant him political asylum, but that they had referred him to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
"I cannot go back to Cambodia because I fear I will be killed," Heng Pov told the Australian Associated Press on Monday. "I know too much about what's going on there with corruption and illegal activity."
Heng Pov said in a prepared statement that it was his opposition to corruption and human rights abuses, as well as his support for democracy, that had landed him in hot water.
"If I have to die for my beliefs and my country I stand ready and willing to do so," he said, according to the AAP.
Heng Pov is wanted in Cambodia after fleeing the country on July 23, before authorities announced that he was being sought in connection with the 2003 assassination of a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge and three other attempted assassinations.
Searches of two houses owned by Heng Pov later turned up $30,000 in counterfeit bills, nine handguns and assault rifles and a bank account containing around $1 million.
David Chen, an attorney for Heng Pov, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Heng Pov said he had refused orders to kill political dissidents.
"I have not yet personally verified the story that he has, but I believe his words," Chen told the ABC. "He told me that he has evidence in support of what he said but the evidence is unfortunately of course in Cambodia"
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak denied that there was any truth to Heng Pov’s allegations.
"If Heng Pov is courageous enough, he can come to Cambodia and face trial and they can rent a good lawyer," Khieu Sopheak said.
"I think that Heng Pov is speaking up as the requirement for political asylum," he said.
"I hope since we have what we call the red notice issued by Interpol, Heng Pov will not be accepted by any country or organization," he added. "If Heng Pov knows about corrupted officials, then Heng Pov himself is corrupt."
Mok Chito, chief of the Interior Ministry's penal police, also said Heng Pov's claims of persecution were a ploy.
"I also heard that he is trying to receive asylum in Australia by announcing that he is being hunted by the government here," said Mok Chito. "He has a grand ruse to draw public attention and be accepted as an asylum seeker."
Officials at the Australian and Singaporean embassies declined to comment, and UNHCR officials in Phnom Penh could not be reached Monday evening.
Chen also said he has written to Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, asking him to review Heng Pov’s request for asylum.
"[Heng Pov] is in fear for his life and those of his family in Cambodia," Chen wrote, according to a copy of the letter seen by The Australian newspaper. "There is no doubt that should he go back he would face persecution.... Chances are that he would be assassinated."
The AAP reported that Downer's office had acknowledged receiving Chen's letter.
Heng Pov's wife, who asked not to be named, said on Monday that she did not know her husband's location. "I do not know where my husband is," she said. "If my husband is in Singapore, I am very happy to hear this news,"
According to the AAP report, Heng Pov also admitted to his own involvement in corrupt acts.
As an example, Heng Pov said he accepted a four-wheel-drive vehicle as a bribe in order to cover up the seizure of a 7-ton cache of marijuana belonging to a company owned by an unidentified friend of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hun Sen's adviser Om Yentieng could not be reached for comment.
Keo Vanthan, first deputy director of Interpol in Phnom Penh, said Monday that the organization's headquarters in Lyon, France, had issued a notice on Heng Pov, which identifies fugitives to law enforcement in the 184 member countries, but that it was not an arrest warrant.
(Additional reporting by Saing Soenthrtih)
Interviewed at a secret location, Heng Pov claimed that he fled Cambodia to seek political asylum after refusing orders to kill political dissidents in Cambodia, according to the reports.
Heng Pov also said that he had asked Australian authorities in Singapore to grant him political asylum, but that they had referred him to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
"I cannot go back to Cambodia because I fear I will be killed," Heng Pov told the Australian Associated Press on Monday. "I know too much about what's going on there with corruption and illegal activity."
Heng Pov said in a prepared statement that it was his opposition to corruption and human rights abuses, as well as his support for democracy, that had landed him in hot water.
"If I have to die for my beliefs and my country I stand ready and willing to do so," he said, according to the AAP.
Heng Pov is wanted in Cambodia after fleeing the country on July 23, before authorities announced that he was being sought in connection with the 2003 assassination of a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge and three other attempted assassinations.
Searches of two houses owned by Heng Pov later turned up $30,000 in counterfeit bills, nine handguns and assault rifles and a bank account containing around $1 million.
David Chen, an attorney for Heng Pov, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Heng Pov said he had refused orders to kill political dissidents.
"I have not yet personally verified the story that he has, but I believe his words," Chen told the ABC. "He told me that he has evidence in support of what he said but the evidence is unfortunately of course in Cambodia"
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak denied that there was any truth to Heng Pov’s allegations.
"If Heng Pov is courageous enough, he can come to Cambodia and face trial and they can rent a good lawyer," Khieu Sopheak said.
"I think that Heng Pov is speaking up as the requirement for political asylum," he said.
"I hope since we have what we call the red notice issued by Interpol, Heng Pov will not be accepted by any country or organization," he added. "If Heng Pov knows about corrupted officials, then Heng Pov himself is corrupt."
Mok Chito, chief of the Interior Ministry's penal police, also said Heng Pov's claims of persecution were a ploy.
"I also heard that he is trying to receive asylum in Australia by announcing that he is being hunted by the government here," said Mok Chito. "He has a grand ruse to draw public attention and be accepted as an asylum seeker."
Officials at the Australian and Singaporean embassies declined to comment, and UNHCR officials in Phnom Penh could not be reached Monday evening.
Chen also said he has written to Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, asking him to review Heng Pov’s request for asylum.
"[Heng Pov] is in fear for his life and those of his family in Cambodia," Chen wrote, according to a copy of the letter seen by The Australian newspaper. "There is no doubt that should he go back he would face persecution.... Chances are that he would be assassinated."
The AAP reported that Downer's office had acknowledged receiving Chen's letter.
Heng Pov's wife, who asked not to be named, said on Monday that she did not know her husband's location. "I do not know where my husband is," she said. "If my husband is in Singapore, I am very happy to hear this news,"
According to the AAP report, Heng Pov also admitted to his own involvement in corrupt acts.
As an example, Heng Pov said he accepted a four-wheel-drive vehicle as a bribe in order to cover up the seizure of a 7-ton cache of marijuana belonging to a company owned by an unidentified friend of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hun Sen's adviser Om Yentieng could not be reached for comment.
Keo Vanthan, first deputy director of Interpol in Phnom Penh, said Monday that the organization's headquarters in Lyon, France, had issued a notice on Heng Pov, which identifies fugitives to law enforcement in the 184 member countries, but that it was not an arrest warrant.
(Additional reporting by Saing Soenthrtih)
11 comments:
Now, I have pity for the man. He realized and make amend by unmasked ah Hun Sen corrupted government and compatriates. If the world ready to hear Heng Pov, and may be we'll booted Hun Sen regime to his mother's womb.
I the AAP granted him the asylum for this man to name the head poncho.
Lay low Heng Pov for your safety, you needed to tape/record your version against these pigs in the CCP.
I congratulate you on having the courage to attempt to paint the picture of these corrupted pigs. I am sure ah Hok Lundy and ah Hun Sen are behinds these pursuance.
Heng Pov repent! God will save him!
Simply everyman for his own at last resort...
Look at FUNC's Ung Huot clique doing now.
Soon more of CPP anti Hun Sen despotism buble will burst in tis real time.
Cham Prasith is next if Sok An got exposed by press and people of his inner circle.
Excessive Vanity or Extravagance return to its origin, earth dust.
Kom luach keh thlab dai kom dek thngai thlab phnek
Luach barn thaa aing krun doll keh tiann thaa keh proeur
Don't worry about Heng Poeu
because he is always in the CRIMINAL CLAN "3H" ( Heng Poeu - Hun Sen - Hok Lundy )
We can only hope that he will reveal to all the corrupt world of Cambodias elite which is rotten to the core. It is however a fact that he himself is very corrupt (1 million dollar bank account) and has had a reputation as a ruthless bastard for years in phnom penh. Let him reveal all them lock him up and throw away the key.
If heng pov reveal the truth, khmer people have hope for the future.
Let the "Corruption Lords" fight each other.
The King of Corruption will be last to die.
The Heng Pov case becomes an attractive story for many political observers. He is, no doubt, a corrupt official but his bosses are far more corrupted than he is. Now the reavelation is comming. For now, Heng Pov is the only potential witness to uncover the Hun Sen evil Empire. If Pov was behind the assassinations of many people, who ordered him to do so? from 1993 to present countless politicians, journaists, movie stars, singers, union leaders were assassinated in cold blood murder and none of the killers ever brought to trial. Pov's reavelation may solve some of this killing misteries.
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