After being caught for accepting bribe, Ly Vouchleng can still get a position at the Council of Ministers: It pays to be corrupt in Cambodia!

Ly Vouchleng (L) and You Bunleng (R), her replacement after she was fired for accepting bribes

Legal post goes to ousted Court of Appeal president

Monday, 23 February 2009
Written by Chrann Chamroeun and Robbie Corey-Boulet The Phnom Penh Post

TIE TO THE KRT
You Bunleng, co-investigating judge at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, was appointed to replace Ly Vouchleng at the Court of Appeal after her removal. He initially said he might not be able to remain at the tribunal but eventually decided to stay on.

Ly Vouchleng's appointment to the Council of Ministers comes 17 months after allegations of corruption resulted in her dismissal.

LY Vouchleng has been appointed as legal counsel to the Council of Ministers some 17 months after a corruption scandal led to her removal from her post as president of the Court of Appeal, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told the Post Sunday.

A royal decree issued in August 2007 ousted Ly Vouchleng from the Court of Appeal in response to allegations that the court had been bribed into releasing two human trafficking suspects.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith defended the new appointment as "legal" and declined to comment on the past corruption case, deferring questions about that to "the person who decided to appoint her", whom he said he could not name.

Phay Siphan said he did not know who approved the appointment and could not say whether past allegations of wrongdoing levied against her had figured in the decision.

"I just know that she was appointed to the position of legal counsel at the Council of Ministers and that her background is in legal expertise," he said.

Ly Vouchleng could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho, said she had not heard of the appointment but that any decision to place Ly Vouchleng in a government post would be "difficult to understand" in light of the government's claims to be actively rooting out corruption.

"I feel very sorry if there really is a new appointment of Ly Vouchleng," she told the Post Sunday.

Cambodian Appeal Court's head removed for bribe scandal

August 12, 2007

President of the Cambodian Appeal Court has been removed in accordance with a royal decree issued on Thursday due to her intention to receive bribe, according to local media on Sunday.

King Norodom Sihamoni signed the decree to remove Ly Vouch Leng, according to requests from Prime Minister Hun Sen and Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vattana, said Cambodian-language newspaper the Kampuchea Thmey.

The removal arose from her involvement in a bribe case, unofficial source told the newspaper.

Ly Vouch Leng had expected to get 30,000 U.S. dollars of the 120,000 U.S. dollars of bribe money pledged for the release of two men, who were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over running pornographic business at Hotel Chhay Hour in Phnom Penh, the source said.

She managed to help release Te Pou Ly and Sam Leng, who were later arrested again over irregularity of the case.

Ly Vouch Leng was replaced by You Bun Leng, co-investigating judge of the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) , and she will get a new position at Ministry of Justice.

Meanwhile, police detained Chhon Pouch on Thursday, who had attempted to bribe the officials in deputy of Te Pou Ly and Sam Leng. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court will conduct more investigation of the case.

Source: Xinhua