Ex-Governor Charged With Land Crimes
By Kuch Naren
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Puth Chandarith, the recently removed Funcinpec governor of Kampot province, was arrested Sunday and charged with corruption, land-grabbing and illegal clearing of state forests, police said Monday.
The 49-year-old Cambodian-American was arrested at the Ratanak Hotel in Battambang town after failing to appear in Kampot Provincial Court for questioning Thursday, said Kang Sokhan, Battambang provincial police chief.
The former governor is now in Kampot provincial prison pending trial he said. "The arrest was made by Interior Ministry police officials," Kang Sokhan added.
The complaint against the former governor was filed by government lawyer Long Norindh on June 23. Long Norindh could not be reached for comment. It was unclear Monday whether Puth Chandarith had retained a lawyer.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the Kampot court issued the arrest warrant and that he was unaware if other officials have been implicated in the case.
Puth Chandarith is charged under article 38 of the Untac criminal code pertaining to extortion and article 45 dealing with fraud, according to a copy of the arrest warrant signed by Investigating Judge Oeung Sieng and Prosecutor Top Chhunheng.
He is also charged with article 259 of the Land Law for alleged infringement on public property and complicity in forest crime under Article 97 of the Forestry Law. Article 97 includes crimes such as enclosing and clearing forestland, and hunting protected wildlife.
Oeung Sieng and Top Chhunheng could not be reached for comment.
Chhim Savuth, a monitor for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said his organization has been investigating complaints that Puth Chandarith has been involved in the clearing of 10,000 hectares of protected forest land in Kampot's Chhuk district by two companies.
"There was a complaint from 117 families to CCHR based in Kampot against this former governor that he grabbed more than 500 hectares of villagers' land and sold it to business people since 2000," he said.
On June 21, Prime Minister Hun Sen told a meeting of business leaders that he had learned that officials in Kampot had allowed a company known as "Hun Sen Agro-Industry" to use his name and grab land. He said that the misdeeds would be punished and warned businessmen not to use his name for crimes.
Puth Chandarith was removed from his position in late January and replaced by CPP official Thach Khorn.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said he was unaware of the arrest of the former governor, who is a US citizen, and declined to comment.
Ok Socheat public affairs adviser to Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh, said that since the Constitution was amended in March to allow the 50-per-cent-phis-one voting formula at the National Assembly, Funcinpec officials have become vulnerable to unfounded allegations.
"I think my party is at high risk due to the recent removals of our officials from their positions and this arrest," he said.
A senior Funcinpec official said on condition of anonymity that the prosecution of corruption has been selective, focusing on parties other than Hun Sen's ruling CPP.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap denied that Hun Sen was avoiding wrongdoers inside his own party.
"We are not going to arrest only officials from the Funcinpec party," he said.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
The 49-year-old Cambodian-American was arrested at the Ratanak Hotel in Battambang town after failing to appear in Kampot Provincial Court for questioning Thursday, said Kang Sokhan, Battambang provincial police chief.
The former governor is now in Kampot provincial prison pending trial he said. "The arrest was made by Interior Ministry police officials," Kang Sokhan added.
The complaint against the former governor was filed by government lawyer Long Norindh on June 23. Long Norindh could not be reached for comment. It was unclear Monday whether Puth Chandarith had retained a lawyer.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the Kampot court issued the arrest warrant and that he was unaware if other officials have been implicated in the case.
Puth Chandarith is charged under article 38 of the Untac criminal code pertaining to extortion and article 45 dealing with fraud, according to a copy of the arrest warrant signed by Investigating Judge Oeung Sieng and Prosecutor Top Chhunheng.
He is also charged with article 259 of the Land Law for alleged infringement on public property and complicity in forest crime under Article 97 of the Forestry Law. Article 97 includes crimes such as enclosing and clearing forestland, and hunting protected wildlife.
Oeung Sieng and Top Chhunheng could not be reached for comment.
Chhim Savuth, a monitor for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said his organization has been investigating complaints that Puth Chandarith has been involved in the clearing of 10,000 hectares of protected forest land in Kampot's Chhuk district by two companies.
"There was a complaint from 117 families to CCHR based in Kampot against this former governor that he grabbed more than 500 hectares of villagers' land and sold it to business people since 2000," he said.
On June 21, Prime Minister Hun Sen told a meeting of business leaders that he had learned that officials in Kampot had allowed a company known as "Hun Sen Agro-Industry" to use his name and grab land. He said that the misdeeds would be punished and warned businessmen not to use his name for crimes.
Puth Chandarith was removed from his position in late January and replaced by CPP official Thach Khorn.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said he was unaware of the arrest of the former governor, who is a US citizen, and declined to comment.
Ok Socheat public affairs adviser to Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh, said that since the Constitution was amended in March to allow the 50-per-cent-phis-one voting formula at the National Assembly, Funcinpec officials have become vulnerable to unfounded allegations.
"I think my party is at high risk due to the recent removals of our officials from their positions and this arrest," he said.
A senior Funcinpec official said on condition of anonymity that the prosecution of corruption has been selective, focusing on parties other than Hun Sen's ruling CPP.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap denied that Hun Sen was avoiding wrongdoers inside his own party.
"We are not going to arrest only officials from the Funcinpec party," he said.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
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