Legislator, lawyer to skip trial

Friday, 17 July 2009
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

If convicted, Ho Vann could become the third government critic to receive a prison sentence since the opposition-aligned publisher Hang Chakra was sentenced to one year in prison on June 26. Khmer Civilisation Foundation Chairman Moeung Sonn received a two-year sentence on Tuesday for criticising a light installation project at Angkor Wat temple.

Ho Vann likely to be tried in absentia on charges he defamed officers

NEITHER opposition lawmaker Ho Vann nor his former attorney will appear in Phnom Penh Municipal Court today to answer to disinformation and defamation charges filed against him, but his supporters said Thursday that this would have little effect on the outcome of his case, which they described as both preordained and highly politicised.

"Whether Ho Vann shows up at the trial tomorrow or not is not important because we expect the court will decide because of orders from the ruling Cambodian People's Party," Yim Sovann said.

Ho Vann, who is currently in the United States, was accused of defaming 22 senior RCAF officials after he made comments to a local newspaper that the officials say denigrate the quality of academic degrees they received from a Vietnamese military institute. He has since said he was misquoted.

The reporter who quoted him, Neou Vannarin of The Cambodia Daily, has also been summoned to appear today.

If convicted, Ho Vann could become the third government critic to receive a prison sentence since the opposition-aligned publisher Hang Chakra was sentenced to one year in prison on June 26. Khmer Civilisation Foundation Chairman Moeung Sonn received a two-year sentence on Tuesday for criticising a light installation project at Angkor Wat temple.

Yim Sovann said Thursday that Ho Vann had not had time to find a new lawyer after his previous lawyer, Kong Sam Onn, who was facing a defamation charge of his own and possible disbarment, defected to the CPP earlier this month.

Along with other Ho Vann supporters, Yim Sovann criticised the charges against him as part of a concerted political attack against the party.
But Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said the outcome of the case was up to the court and thus would not be influenced by politics.
"The case is not in government hands," he said.

Chev Keng, president of the Phnom Penh Muncipal Court, was unavailable for comment on Thursday, and Deputy Prosecutor Sok Roeun declined to speak with a reporter.

Another opposition MP summoned to court

Source: Radio Free Asia
Reported in English by Khmerization

Another opposition MP had been summoned to appear before the Phnom Penh Court on the 5th of June in relation to the defamation lawsuit lodged against him by 22 military officers, reports Radio Free Asia.

Mr. Ho Vann (pictured), a Phnom Penh MP from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), was sued by 22 military officers in relation to his remarks about the values of their masters and doctoral degrees awarded to them by a Vietnamese military institute.

Mr. Ho Vann said that his remarks were misquoted by the Cambodia Daily on 21st April, but on 23rd April the newspaper had published a correction.

He said about his remarks: "I said a qualification is a virtue which can help a leader to become more and more influential that enable them to lead their subordinates to be more effective. Secondly, their accusation against me that I said that their degrees are worthless is not true because I never said that those degrees are worthless. I just said that any degrees that can be considered as having quality (values) must fulfill three criteria and those three criteria must be universal."

In April, the Cambodia Daily quoted Mr. Ho Vann as saying that those degrees awarded to the army officiers are only good for the consolidation of their powers over their subordinates, but in term of quality they are worthless.

Mr. Kong Sam Onn, A lawyer for Mr. Ho Vann, said that the newspaper had already published a correction and that his client had on numerous occasions requested for a correction, therefore there is no ground to charge his client.

Mr. Sam Sam Ath, an investigator from the human right group LICADHO said he is concerned that there is a surge in government officials taking legal actions against opposition politicians, the press and NGO's activists.