Monday, January 01, 2007

Ranaridhh returns home, cautiously avoids Phnom Penh

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, ousted leader of Cambodia's royalist party, has returned home on Sunday, and his aide said the besieged prince was unconcerned about charges of adultery and cheating his former party. (AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy)

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, ousted leader of Cambodia's royalist party, has returned home on Sunday, and his aide said the besieged prince was unconcerned about charges of adultery and cheating his former party.

Muth Channtha said that Ranariddh, son of respected former king Norodom Sihanouk, had come home to galvanize support for his new political party, the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP).

"He is the leader of the party, so he has to come back to conduct political activities," NRP spokesman Muth Channtha told AFP. "Any other problems are not important for him."

The prince was ousted as president of the royalist Funcinpec party in October, and one month later was voted in as leader of the small Khmer Front Party, which he renamed after himself.

Ranariddh is currently under investigation for adultery -- a crime in Cambodia -- after his estranged wife Princess Norodom Marie Ranariddh filed a complaint.

He was also recently summoned to court to answer allegations that he sold the Funcinpec party headquarters without permission and pocketed 3.6 million dollars from the sale.

The prince left Cambodia in early December and travelled to France. He returned to the northern tourist town of Siem Reap on Sunday via Malaysia.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am not a supporter of this animal prince. But for the integrity of the justice, I urge Cambodian court must respect individual freedom and humam right and a justice for all. With this kind of justice, I don't think the Prince should be worry about all the law suite because as long as he dare to face with all his legal challenge, noone shouldn't arrest him before the judgement of the court. This proceeding will take a longtime before the court can make a final judgement.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you. However, when this animal was NA President, he allowed opposition MPs and Human Right Activists, Journalists, to be arrested injustly by the same law. he even mocked at the victims and wish them to have a taste at Prey Sar Prison. Now it is his turn to get a taste too.

Anonymous said...

Tell me how can you dislike his smiling face?. This prince may be down but not OUT yet. His cute face melt my heart....