24 Nov 2006By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The Association of Democratic Cambodian Reporters revealed on Friday 23 Nov their investigation indicating that Kham Khoeun, the former provincial governor of Ratanakkiri province, and a number of important provincial police and army officers – whom the Phnom Penh municipal court had sentenced in secret to between 2 to 17 years of jail time this Thursday – are indeed involved in receiving briberies amounting to several tens of thousands of dollars to allow Vietnamese businessmen to come in and illegal cut trees in the Virachey national park between 2003 and 2004.
Chea Kim San, President of the investigation committee of the reporters association, spent several months in 2006 investigating with various sources in Vietnam, and government officials in Ratanakkiri. He confirmed in a press conference on Friday that Kham Khoeun is the most important man involved with Vietnamese businessmen, he authorized the criminal trees cutting, and he received briberies in exchange.
Chea Kim San said: “According to Vietnamese sources, Kham Khoeun received $200,000 from the [Vietnamese] Hong Anh company. Kham Khoeun received the money on 19 May 2004 in Pleku [Vietnam], the witness clearly stated that.”
Besides Kham Khoeun, Keo Luna, the army deputy commander of the border defense troop, Liam Say, army commander of Division 1, Phon Sophat, army commander of border troop 203, are personally participating and organizing the criminal activities.
According to the investigation, Liam Say received US$155,000, Phon Sophat received $105,000, and Keo Luna received $105,000 from the Vietnamese businessmen.
The Department of Environment estimated that amount of damages done to the Virachey national park amount to about US$15 million.
On Thursday, the Phnom Penh municipal court had sentenced in secret Kham Khoeun, the former governor of Ratanakkiri province, to 17 years of jail time. It also sentenced the provincial police and army officers Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Liam Say, and Moeung Samoeun to 15 years of jail time each, and ordered them to pay a fine between 50 and 80 million riels each ($12,500 to $20,000) for the illegal deforestation and for accepting briberies.
On Thursday, the Phnom Penh municipal court had also sentenced Koy Sopha, the former director of the Virachey national park to 14 years of jail time, and fined him of 50 million riels ($12,500). The court also sentenced Yoeung Baloung, the former Ratanakkiri province police commissioner to 13 years of jail time for the destruction of the environment, and for lying and hiding the truth.. Khon Saret, the former district forest service, was sentenced to 2 years of jail time but was suspended to 5 years of probation and fined 20 million riels ($5,000) for lying and hiding criminal activities in the illegal trees cutting.
Kham Khoeun, as well as Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Koy Sokha, and Liam Say are ordered by the court to restitute to the government and to the environment department an amount of $15 million for the damages they caused.
The World Bank office in Cambodia explained, through an email sent this Friday, that it is encouraged to see the sentence as it represents the government’s determination.
An official of the environment department told RFA that the file will be closed as the most important actors have been sentenced. However, Son Chhay, SRP MP, said that the above sentences are nothing more than a subterfuge since the important government officials sentenced are at large and they will not be actually punished at all. [According to The Cambodia Daily, Kham Koeun is currently living freely in Laos, and Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Koy Sokha, and Liam Say’s whereabouts are unknown].
Chea Kim San, President of the investigation committee of the reporters association, spent several months in 2006 investigating with various sources in Vietnam, and government officials in Ratanakkiri. He confirmed in a press conference on Friday that Kham Khoeun is the most important man involved with Vietnamese businessmen, he authorized the criminal trees cutting, and he received briberies in exchange.
Chea Kim San said: “According to Vietnamese sources, Kham Khoeun received $200,000 from the [Vietnamese] Hong Anh company. Kham Khoeun received the money on 19 May 2004 in Pleku [Vietnam], the witness clearly stated that.”
Besides Kham Khoeun, Keo Luna, the army deputy commander of the border defense troop, Liam Say, army commander of Division 1, Phon Sophat, army commander of border troop 203, are personally participating and organizing the criminal activities.
According to the investigation, Liam Say received US$155,000, Phon Sophat received $105,000, and Keo Luna received $105,000 from the Vietnamese businessmen.
The Department of Environment estimated that amount of damages done to the Virachey national park amount to about US$15 million.
On Thursday, the Phnom Penh municipal court had sentenced in secret Kham Khoeun, the former governor of Ratanakkiri province, to 17 years of jail time. It also sentenced the provincial police and army officers Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Liam Say, and Moeung Samoeun to 15 years of jail time each, and ordered them to pay a fine between 50 and 80 million riels each ($12,500 to $20,000) for the illegal deforestation and for accepting briberies.
On Thursday, the Phnom Penh municipal court had also sentenced Koy Sopha, the former director of the Virachey national park to 14 years of jail time, and fined him of 50 million riels ($12,500). The court also sentenced Yoeung Baloung, the former Ratanakkiri province police commissioner to 13 years of jail time for the destruction of the environment, and for lying and hiding the truth.. Khon Saret, the former district forest service, was sentenced to 2 years of jail time but was suspended to 5 years of probation and fined 20 million riels ($5,000) for lying and hiding criminal activities in the illegal trees cutting.
Kham Khoeun, as well as Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Koy Sokha, and Liam Say are ordered by the court to restitute to the government and to the environment department an amount of $15 million for the damages they caused.
The World Bank office in Cambodia explained, through an email sent this Friday, that it is encouraged to see the sentence as it represents the government’s determination.
An official of the environment department told RFA that the file will be closed as the most important actors have been sentenced. However, Son Chhay, SRP MP, said that the above sentences are nothing more than a subterfuge since the important government officials sentenced are at large and they will not be actually punished at all. [According to The Cambodia Daily, Kham Koeun is currently living freely in Laos, and Phon Sophat, Keo Luna, Koy Sokha, and Liam Say’s whereabouts are unknown].
2 comments:
AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave just play dumb! This fucken bastard know where the fucken money go!
Thank to the Vietcong double agents for smoothing out the whole logging operation and it was a succcess!
If CPP and Hun Sen claimed that cambodia is a decomratic country, why is the sentencing of these criminals made in secret..it should be made public!
How much of the dmaaged has been recover?
And there should be a video recording an on going investigation to show that these people actually serve their sentence in goal.
If they are not in goal where are they, who let them free?
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