Cambodian judges official take an oath during a swearing-in ceremony inside the Royal Palace of the capital Phnom Penh, Cambodia July 3, 2006. A thorough probe must be made into corruption allegations against Cambodian officials at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, a New York-based legal group said, prompting a quick dismissal by the tribunal office Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007. (AP Phpto/Heng Sinith)Cambodia genocide court faces graft charges
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodian officials at the court handling the Khmer Rouge genocide trials are being forced to kick back wages to the government in order to keep their jobs, a legal watchdog has said.
The allegations are the latest challenges to the credibility of the court, which is also bogged down in disputes between Cambodian and UN judges that make it unlikely the tribunal will begin its trials on schedule.
Court officials confirmed that an audit of the tribunal had been launched but denied that it was related to the allegations made by the US-based Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI).
"The alleged entanglement of money, political favours, government officials, and judicial officers heightens fears that the Cambodian judges are subject to government interference and cannot act independently," the OSJI said.
It said local judges were among those forced to give back "a significant percentage of their wages" to unnamed Cambodian government officials.
But Sean Visoth, chief administrator for the Cambodian side of the joint tribunal, called the outside audit a "regular process" that had nothing to do with the corruption charges.
"All donor funds must be audited," he said. "These are unsubstantiated allegations."
Most of the tribunal's 56 million-dollar budget comes from donors, with Cambodia so far contributing only a fraction of its 13-million-dollar share.
The willingness of the international community to foot the bill has repeatedly come into question amid allegations of government foot-dragging and political interference.
"Donors, the international community, and the Cambodian people have the right to know that money entrusted to the (tribunal) is being spent transparently and honestly," said OSJI executive director James Goldston.
"The court's most precious resource -- public confidence -- is at stake," he said.
Up to two million people died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime, which abolished religion, property rights, currency and schools.
Leader Pol Pot died in 1998, and so far only one potential defendant is in custody.
The allegations are the latest challenges to the credibility of the court, which is also bogged down in disputes between Cambodian and UN judges that make it unlikely the tribunal will begin its trials on schedule.
Court officials confirmed that an audit of the tribunal had been launched but denied that it was related to the allegations made by the US-based Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI).
"The alleged entanglement of money, political favours, government officials, and judicial officers heightens fears that the Cambodian judges are subject to government interference and cannot act independently," the OSJI said.
It said local judges were among those forced to give back "a significant percentage of their wages" to unnamed Cambodian government officials.
But Sean Visoth, chief administrator for the Cambodian side of the joint tribunal, called the outside audit a "regular process" that had nothing to do with the corruption charges.
"All donor funds must be audited," he said. "These are unsubstantiated allegations."
Most of the tribunal's 56 million-dollar budget comes from donors, with Cambodia so far contributing only a fraction of its 13-million-dollar share.
The willingness of the international community to foot the bill has repeatedly come into question amid allegations of government foot-dragging and political interference.
"Donors, the international community, and the Cambodian people have the right to know that money entrusted to the (tribunal) is being spent transparently and honestly," said OSJI executive director James Goldston.
"The court's most precious resource -- public confidence -- is at stake," he said.
Up to two million people died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime, which abolished religion, property rights, currency and schools.
Leader Pol Pot died in 1998, and so far only one potential defendant is in custody.
12 comments:
Who can trust these judges whose looked like apes in the forest.Where are all foreign trained judges? It is very shamefull for Cambodian government to allow these apes to participate with this very important process of the history
It seems to be a fair deal: I get a share of your salary as I am the one who appoints you.
SiS
Amen bro!
There is nothing wrong with giving
someone something for helping you
getting the job, and it certainly
won't alter your qualification
either. Those people just don't
want to move forward with the
tribunal, and they want to blame
us for everything.
These clowns cannot find anything better to do. That's why they are here to make fortune from the blood of innocent Cambodians
What is wrong with raising money
for political campaign?
BTW, do you guys know how the US
Ambassador J Mussomellie or most
Ambassador got his job? If not,
let me tell you: They pay for it
through political campaign. And
when their party win the election,
there is a high chance that they
will be appointed. You don't think
you can find Ambassador job in the
Classified section of the news
paper, do ya?
Moreover, STFU if you don't have
anything new to say, okay?
It will be unfair if the foreign judges and personnel do not pay any part of their salary to anyone like their Cambodian counterparts.
16ii07
KHMENG WAT KHNONG SROK
TO KHMER YAN-THIUE- KEE!
WHEN ARE YOU GOING BACK TO SCHOOL?
POSTING A VILAIN AND STUPID COMMENTS IS NOT A KING OF GESTURE THAT NORMAL KHMER WOULD BE PROUD!
I TOLD YOU THE DREAM OF THE LON NOL REGIME WAS A LONG TIME FINISHED... DO NOT DREAM ANYMORE AND TRY TO FACE THE REALITIES!
YOU HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO ESCAPE FROM THE KHMER ROUGE, NOW HIDE YOU AND MAKE YOU SMALL AS POSSIBLE.
KHMENG WAT KHNONG SROK
GOOD DAY
Yeah right you fucking Khmeng Wat Knong Srok @4:43AM, and Viet-dog troller @12:37AM. Obviously, agent ORANGE, and the tremor from the B Nam Hai (52) bombings ate up your brain cells and made your brain go wacko barking like a crazy dog. Plus, your excessive drunkenness of your own stinky Nuoc Mam (fish sauce) day in and day out for 25 years to make you less fearful of death to fight against the Americans made you Viets are what you are now: suicidal.
If you don't believe me, just ask the Americans. Fair enough?
I,We,Tuy The Xmer-Judges
will do everything what Yuon & CPP's order.
Could you give us back some of 30% of the money protection ?
Well, the max we are willing to pay
is 30%. Therefore, you're going to
have to get your share from the
CPP, okay?
all of these Khmer Judges, are just a bunch of cock suckers!! look at each and everyone of them...you'll see what I mean!!
Yes indeed, I smell alot of bull shits with all of these incompetent so call extraordinary judges. They can't even clean their mouth from that fish sauce and pra houk, how can they have the interlectual to make fair judgement to 1.7 million lost souls. I still smell alot of Bull shits here.
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