Alexander Trofimov behind bar (Photo: AP)Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Associated Press
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia: A Russian company broke ground Saturday on a US$472 million island resort project along Cambodia's southwest coast, despite one of its partners being jailed in the country for alleged sex crimes.
Prime Minister Hun Sen presided over a ceremony marking the start of work on a 2,970-foot (900-meter) bridge that will link Koh Puos — Snake Island — with a coastal beach in the port city of Sihanoukville.
Cambodia's government signed a deal with Koh Puos Investment Group Ltd. in 2006 that allows it to develop and manage resorts on the island for 99 years.
The company is run by a group of Russian businessmen, according to its Web site.
Alexey Chepa, an executive with the company, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the total project represented a US$472 million investment, a substantial increase from the US$300 million originally announced in 2006. He did not give details of the project but said the investment would create up to 25,000 jobs.
One of the group's partners, Alexander Trofimov, was sentenced in March by a Cambodian court to 13 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.
Trofimov was arrested last October over allegations that he had abused as many as 19 girls since 2005, but was charged only in the case of the 14-year-old. He has denied the accusation.
Cambodian Transport Minister Sun Chanthol said the bridge will cost about US$31.3 million and be completed at the end of 2010.
He said it will help develop Koh Puos "into a world-class resort."
Son Chhay, an opposition lawmaker, criticized the government for pressing ahead with the project instead of taking time to investigate the company's background after one of its partners was jailed.
"The government must be more open on how they struck the deal with the Russians," said Son Chhay, of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.
The new resort is part of impoverished Cambodia's efforts to promote the country's beaches as a new tourist destination and a key source of cash, following the success it has had in drawing visitors to its famed Angkor temples.
Sihanoukville is about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
Prime Minister Hun Sen presided over a ceremony marking the start of work on a 2,970-foot (900-meter) bridge that will link Koh Puos — Snake Island — with a coastal beach in the port city of Sihanoukville.
Cambodia's government signed a deal with Koh Puos Investment Group Ltd. in 2006 that allows it to develop and manage resorts on the island for 99 years.
The company is run by a group of Russian businessmen, according to its Web site.
Alexey Chepa, an executive with the company, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the total project represented a US$472 million investment, a substantial increase from the US$300 million originally announced in 2006. He did not give details of the project but said the investment would create up to 25,000 jobs.
One of the group's partners, Alexander Trofimov, was sentenced in March by a Cambodian court to 13 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.
Trofimov was arrested last October over allegations that he had abused as many as 19 girls since 2005, but was charged only in the case of the 14-year-old. He has denied the accusation.
Cambodian Transport Minister Sun Chanthol said the bridge will cost about US$31.3 million and be completed at the end of 2010.
He said it will help develop Koh Puos "into a world-class resort."
Son Chhay, an opposition lawmaker, criticized the government for pressing ahead with the project instead of taking time to investigate the company's background after one of its partners was jailed.
"The government must be more open on how they struck the deal with the Russians," said Son Chhay, of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.
The new resort is part of impoverished Cambodia's efforts to promote the country's beaches as a new tourist destination and a key source of cash, following the success it has had in drawing visitors to its famed Angkor temples.
Sihanoukville is about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
9 comments:
i like russian. help cambodia develop. thank you and god bless. khmer-russian friendship forever.
Agreed!
we should allow khmer to work over there ( island ) at least 50 % in sharing.
Thanks 3:33AM, 4:31AM and 5:31AM, if you have beautiful sisters or your mother still young and beautiful, I would like to fuck them all (especially under 18). Just send them to my island, I have good friend in CPP I will be out really soon.
comrade,
Alex Trofi.
By the way we will build big brothel on the island, employing at least 25000 young Khmer girls.
Peace man, khmer-russian friendship forever.
We should allow Alex T. to fuck their mother at least 50 times.
oh baby, talk dirty sex to me, i love it. me love you long time, baby!
Why us Khmer when we got plenty of Ah Khmer-Yuon for the Russian? After all they have yet to settle score from the past.
If the Russian didn't help the Vietcong to occupy Cambodia for 10 years and maybe Cambodia wouldn't be as backward as it is right now!
During the so called communist period and especially during the Khmer Rouge and during AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave mother fucker and I want to know why the fucken Russian always make Cambodian communists to go through and to get the approval from the fucken Vietcong government just to deal with the fucken Russian government? Why every fucken Cambodian communist decision making and politically contact with the Russian will have to go through the fucken Vietcong government?
I resent the behavior of the fucken Russian government for treating Cambodian communist as the second class communist!
Now I know why the Russian withdrew their troop from Afghanistan and the Vietcong withdrew their troop from Cambodia! Ahhahahhahhahhahahhahha!
you are a bunch of idiots. i pity you. grow up and develop some sense and decency please. sounds like a bunch of spam messages anyway. i'm hoping that's what your messages are since i can't see any decent human being believing and saying such things.
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