By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Prince Norodom Ranariddh has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking $1 million from Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay, after he accused the prince of selling the party's headquarters and pocketing the proceeds, the prince's lawyer said Thursday.
The lawsuit, filed at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, marks an escalation in the conflict between Prince Ranariddh's new Norodom Ranariddh Party, and Funcinpec which ousted him as their president on Oct 18.
"Nhiek Bun Chhay defamed Prince Norodom Ranariddh in the hope of reducing the prince's popularity," the prince's lawyer Son Arun said, adding that the complaint was filed on Nov 16.
Nhiek Bun Chhay made his allegation against Prince Ranariddh in a lawsuit that he filed at the municipal court Nov 8. His lawsuit demanded that Prince Ranariddh pay $4.6 million to Funcinpec for selling off the party's headquarters for $3.6 million and keeping the money. Nhiek Bun Chhay also urged the court to prosecute the prince for cheating the party over the sale of its land.
In his counter lawsuit. Prince Ranariddh dismissed the allegation and said it is Nhiek Bun Chhay who should be prosecuted, Son Arun said.
Prak Savouth, the municipal court's chief clerk, confirmed that the court has received the lawsuit.
Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero said he was unaware of the complaint, but added that party officials will attend the court if they are summoned.
NRP spokesman Muth Channtha said he has filed a complaint with the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and Adhoc, accusing Funcinpec of threatening its supporters not to join the prince's new party.
The complaint accuses Funcinpec of warning its deputy governors, district governors and commune councilors that they will lose their government positions if they join the prince, Muth Channtha said.
Funcinpec's headquarters also remain a bone of contention between the two parties.
Funcinpec on Thursday issued a statement rebuffing the NRP’s claims to the site of Funcinpec's new headquarters in Dangkao district.
"The Prince publicly announced that he is president of the Prince Norodom Ranariddh Party, so he has no legal right to own the new [Funcinpec headquarters] location," Funcinpec said.
Funcinpec also denied claims by Ly Chhuong, director of the Ly Chhuong Construction and Import Export Co Ltd, that Nhiek Bun Chhay has agreed to hand over the party's old headquarters near the French Embassy to his firm. Ly Chhuong claims that he purchased the old headquarters in late 2005.
The legal wrangle between Prince Ranariddh and Nhiek Bun Chhay may alienate supporters of both their parties, warned Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia.
"The CPP and Sam Rainsy Party can benefit from the lawsuits," he said.
But government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the CPP does not want to see the NRP and Funcinpec clash.
"We want political stability. When there are conflicts within the political parties it is not good for Cambodia," he said.
The lawsuit, filed at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, marks an escalation in the conflict between Prince Ranariddh's new Norodom Ranariddh Party, and Funcinpec which ousted him as their president on Oct 18.
"Nhiek Bun Chhay defamed Prince Norodom Ranariddh in the hope of reducing the prince's popularity," the prince's lawyer Son Arun said, adding that the complaint was filed on Nov 16.
Nhiek Bun Chhay made his allegation against Prince Ranariddh in a lawsuit that he filed at the municipal court Nov 8. His lawsuit demanded that Prince Ranariddh pay $4.6 million to Funcinpec for selling off the party's headquarters for $3.6 million and keeping the money. Nhiek Bun Chhay also urged the court to prosecute the prince for cheating the party over the sale of its land.
In his counter lawsuit. Prince Ranariddh dismissed the allegation and said it is Nhiek Bun Chhay who should be prosecuted, Son Arun said.
Prak Savouth, the municipal court's chief clerk, confirmed that the court has received the lawsuit.
Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero said he was unaware of the complaint, but added that party officials will attend the court if they are summoned.
NRP spokesman Muth Channtha said he has filed a complaint with the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and Adhoc, accusing Funcinpec of threatening its supporters not to join the prince's new party.
The complaint accuses Funcinpec of warning its deputy governors, district governors and commune councilors that they will lose their government positions if they join the prince, Muth Channtha said.
Funcinpec's headquarters also remain a bone of contention between the two parties.
Funcinpec on Thursday issued a statement rebuffing the NRP’s claims to the site of Funcinpec's new headquarters in Dangkao district.
"The Prince publicly announced that he is president of the Prince Norodom Ranariddh Party, so he has no legal right to own the new [Funcinpec headquarters] location," Funcinpec said.
Funcinpec also denied claims by Ly Chhuong, director of the Ly Chhuong Construction and Import Export Co Ltd, that Nhiek Bun Chhay has agreed to hand over the party's old headquarters near the French Embassy to his firm. Ly Chhuong claims that he purchased the old headquarters in late 2005.
The legal wrangle between Prince Ranariddh and Nhiek Bun Chhay may alienate supporters of both their parties, warned Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia.
"The CPP and Sam Rainsy Party can benefit from the lawsuits," he said.
But government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the CPP does not want to see the NRP and Funcinpec clash.
"We want political stability. When there are conflicts within the political parties it is not good for Cambodia," he said.
8 comments:
It is a conflict over a piece of shit.
That is a clearly corrution conflict over piece of Khmers' land.
Ranaridh will lead NRP to the bottom as he has destroyed Fun by himself.
Rannaridh is the most stupid politician I ever heard. This greedy bastard wants to destroy khmer people. All he wants is money and power.
Ranarith is not stupid. He is just too dumb to be a politician. He is also a big fat liar in Khmer history. If he just does some good point as his father, he will win the election. He is just a selfish man. Why he is not self-dog?
:):):)
Finally, he is a loser. I wish he has good luck to have 1 seat for himself next election.
Thanks
Father and son are the same. Cheaper king in the world.
Why file a counter suit when you haven't found guilty of? In Cambodia strange thing happens. It is hard to follow the rule of law as the rule of laws are being broken by the very people who make the law. On a normal procedure the court will decides and Rannoriddh should not worries to have filed the counter suit. But the rule of law is not being respected followed. So the counter suit is required for two reasons: 1. to protect yourself from defame. 2. for political reasons. Even for Hun Sen who controls the court verdict still files the counter suit. This counter suit will not stop unless the Cambodian court is independent from government intervention.
Never ming about Ranarith's stupidity, it is normal and we should put up with the fact that he is a product of a man screwed his own aunty.
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