Bodyguard’s prison stay grows

Chhoeun Chanthan smiles as he talks to reporters outside a military court in Phnom Penh on Friday. (Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post)

Monday, 27 February 2012
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post

The jail time is piling up for the former head of Chea Sim’s bodyguard unit.

A week after earning a 10-year sentence from Phnom Penh Municipal Court for crimes including forgery and illegal weapons possession, a military court on Friday sentenced Lieutenant General Chhoeun Chanthan to 26 years in jail and ordered him to pay well north of US$3 million to parties affected by various embezzlement schemes.

Chhoeun Chanthan’s conviction and sentence stemmed from charges including breach of trust, embezzlement of state property and illegal distribution of weapons.

10-year jail sentence for Chea Xim's former bodyguard commander: Peal Xen Si Peal Xim

អតីត​មេបញ្ជាការ​កង​អង្គរក្ស​របស់​លោក ជា ស៊ីម លោក ឈឿន ចាន់ថន ផ្ដល់​បទសម្ភាសន៍​នា​សាលា​ដំបូង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៦ ខែ​កុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ​២០១២។ (RFA/Sok Serey)
Chea Xim's former bodyguard commander gave an interview in court on 16 February 2012 (Photo: Sok Serey/RFA)

តុលាការ​កាត់​ទោស​អតីត​មេបញ្ជាការ​អង្គរក្ស​លោក ជា ស៊ីម ឲ្យ​ជាប់​គុក​១០​ឆ្នាំ

2012-02-16
ដោយ សុខ សេរី
Radio Free Asia

Summary: On 16 February 2012, the Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced Chhoeun Chanthan, the former commander of Chea Xim’s bodyguard unit, to 10-year of jail time on multiple charges. He was also fined by 2.5 million riels ($1,250). He was charged with illegal arm possession and issuing illegal arm licenses. Puth Theavy, Chhoeun Chanthan’s defense lawyer, said: “First of all, as a bodyguard commander for a top leader, he was sentenced to 10 years of jail time just because he has at home 4 or 5 guns left over from his mission and he did not store them at his base. As for the false documents, there is no proof to charge my client. In summary, I cannot accept the sentence of my client’s crimes.”

សាលា​ដំបូង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៦ ខែ​កុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ បាន​កាត់​ទោស​អតីត​មេបញ្ជាការ​កង​អង្គរក្ស​របស់​លោក ជា ស៊ីម ប្រធាន​ព្រឹទ្ធ​សភា និង​ជា​ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា គឺ​លោក ឈឿន ចាន់ថន ឲ្យ​ជាប់​គុក​រយៈពេល ១០​ឆ្នាំ ក្រោម​បទ​ល្មើស​ព្រហ្មទណ្ឌ​ជា​ច្រើន​ករណី។

ចៅក្រម​ប្រឹក្សា​នៃ​សាលា​ដំបូង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ លោក កែវ មុន្នី នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៦ ខែ​កុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ បាន​ប្រកាស​សាលក្រម​ចំពោះ​មុខ​លោក ឈឿន ចាន់ថន ដោយ​បាន​ផ្ដន្ទាទោស​ឲ្យ​ជាប់​គុក​រយៈពេល ១០​ឆ្នាំ និង​ផាក​ពិន័យ​ចំនួន ៥​លាន​រៀល ស្មើ​នឹង ១.២៥០​ដុល្លារ​អាមេរិក ចូល​ថវិកា​រដ្ឋ ក្រោម​បទ​ចោទ​ថា បាន​កាន់កាប់​អាវុធ​ខុស​ច្បាប់ និង​ចេញ​ប័ណ្ណ​ឲ្យ​កាន់កាប់​អាវុធ​ខុស​ច្បាប់។

លោក កែវ មុន្នី បាន​ប្រកាស​រឹប​អូស​អាវុធ និង​គ្រាប់​រំសេវ​ជា​ច្រើន​ពី​លោក ឈឿន ចាន់ថន ដើម្បី​រក្សា​ទុក​ក្នុង​បន្ទាយ​អង្គរក្ស​របស់​លោក ជា ស៊ីម វិញ។ ការ​ផ្ដន្ទាទោស​នោះ គឺ​ផ្អែក​តាម​មាត្រា​ទី​២០ និង​មាត្រា​ទី​២២ នៃ​ច្បាប់​ស្ដីពី​ការ​គ្រប់គ្រង​អាវុធ​គ្រឿង​ផ្ទុះ និង​គ្រាប់​រំសេវ និង​មាត្រា​ទី ៦២៩ និង​មាត្រា​ទី ៦៣០ នៃ​ក្រមព្រហ្មទណ្ឌ។

‘General’ in court [- Peal Xen Si Peal Xim]

Chhoeun Chanthan, a former lieutenant-general and chief of Senate president Chea Sim’s bodyguard unit, appears before a military court in Phnom Penh yesterday. Mai Vireak/Phnom Penh Post

Thursday, 16 February 2012
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post

Chhoeun Chanthan, the former chief of Senate president Chea Sim’s bodyguard unit, embezzled almost $1.5 million from government departments after using a dead man’s identity to become a high-ranking commander, a military tribunal heard yesterday.

The explosive allegations came on the first day of the sacked lieutenant-general’s hearing – and just a day after his lawyer, Put Theavy, told the Post he could not specifically recall the charges his client faced.

A civil court will deliver its verdict today on separate charges against the former deputy commander of the Mixed Chief of Staff at the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces that relate to forging documents and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.

Poak Porn, appointed leader of the case’s three judges, said Chhoeun Chanthan was charged with breaching trust; intentionally destroying and embezzling state property; illegally distributing weapons; destroying military materials; and lacking consciousness and responsibility when leading and managing a unit.

“Chhoeun Chanthan had no background in military work with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces,” Poak Porn said.

Cambodian PM's 2nd son appointed as deputy chief of military intelligence unit

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hun Manit, the second eldest son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, was promoted from the military rank of lieutenant colonel to colonel and appointed as the deputy chief of the Defense Ministry's intelligence department on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in charge of Preah Vihear Direction, was appointed as the chief of the Defense Ministry's intelligence department replacing the recent deceased Gen. Mol Roeup.

There were also the appointments of Maj. Gen. Siek Socheat, deputy commander of the front-battle region 3, as the chief of the RCAF's border affairs office instead of Maj. Gen. Sok Pheap, who took a new position as the undersecretary of state of the Defense Ministry.

Former Anti-Drug Chief Gets Life in Prison for Corruption

Moek Dara (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Thursday, 05 January 2012
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“It seems to have had pressure from the top, or fear of the judge.”

Banteay Meanchey provincial court on Thursday sentenced Cambodia’s former anti-drug czar to life in prison for corruption in an alleged drug-trafficking scheme.

Moek Dara, the former secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, was arrested along with an aide, Chea Leng, in January 2011, and accused of abusing his post to gather hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and organizing drug trafficking.

A third defendant, Mor Deurn, was tried in absentia and given 25 years in prison.

The three were fined a total $500,000, an amount equal to that they allegedly took in bribes.

Moek Dara's interview following his sentence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yllvGVgwCY8

Cambodia's former anti-drug head gets life sentence for corruption, drug trafficking

BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian court on Thursday convicted the former head of the National Authority for Combating Drugs Lt. Gen. Moek Dara of corruption and organized drug trafficking and sentenced him to life in prison and fined 220,000 U.S. dollars.

His two subordinates: former Colonel Chea Leang, chief of the anti-drug department's money laundering office, was also sentenced to life in jail and fined 21,000 U.S. dollars, and Morn Doeun, who remains at large and was tried in absentia, was sentenced to 25 years in jail and fined 34,000 U.S. dollars.

In addition, the verdict read by the presiding judge Ith Samphos at Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court said all of their properties including land, houses and cash are confiscated.

Cambodia Anti-Drug Chief Sentenced for Corruption [-Peal Si Peal case]

Moek Dara (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia January 5, 2012 (AP)

A court official says the former head of Cambodia's anti-drug trafficking agency has been sentenced to life in prison for drug-related corruption.

Prosecutor Phan Vanrath says the Banteay Meanchey provincial court on Thursday sentenced former police Lt. Gen. Moek Dara for taking bribes and masterminding drug trafficking.

Moek Dara was secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs before his arrest in January 2011.

His aide Chea Leng was sentenced to life in prison on the same charges. Former anti-drug officer Morn Deurn, who remains at large, was sentenced in absentia to 25 years.

The court, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, fined the trio nearly a half million dollars — the same amount they took in bribes.

WikiLeaks sheds light on [Moek] Dara

Moek Dara

Sunday, 23 January 2011
James O'Toole
The Phnom Penh Post

Ousted anti-drug czar Moek Dara served as a trusted source for United States embassy officials in Phnom Penh, according to an American diplomatic cable released by the transparency organisation WikiLeaks, raising questions about the quality of intelligence available to diplomats and development organisations.

In the 2006 cable, the first from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh released by WikiLeaks, Moek Dara and an unnamed official from the World Health Organisation offer accounts of Cambodia’s drug enforcement and prevention efforts.

Moek Dara served as secretary general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs before being arrested earlier this month, standing accused of heading up a ring of corrupt officials involved in extortion and drug trafficking.

Citing Moek Dara, the American cable touts a “dramatic increase in heroin and [amphetamine-type stimulant] seizures and drug arrests”.

Graft Arrests Prompt Questions of ACU Motive [-Peal See Peal]

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 19 January 2011

“If it’s an internal dispute or twisting within the internal party, we could see this as a beginning of a fracture.”

The recent corruption arrests of four policemen within the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have raised questions of whether there is friction within the party or whether the new Anti-Corruption Unit is flexing new muscles.

The police officials, who were arrested for corruption in connection with drug trafficking, were arrested in recent weeks following an investigation by the ACU, which is headed by a senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, Om Yentieng.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, a minority opposition, said time will tell.

“If it’s an internal dispute or twisting within the internal party, we could see this as a beginning of a fracture,” he said. On the other hand, if it is the “true will” of the government, it’s a “good matter” for Cambodians, he said.

Those arrested were Moek Dara, former secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs; Hun Hean, former police chief of Banteay Meanchey province; his deputy, Chheang Son; and Chea Leang, an official in the Ministry of Interior’s anti-drug office.

Dictator Hun Xen barking in fear of comparison with Tunisia's Ben Ali

Dictators: Ben Ali (L) and Hun Xen (R)

Hun Sen sounds off

Thursday, 20 January 2011
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen defended his oldest son’s recent military promotion and lashed out at opponents suggesting a Tunisia-style revolution could come to the Kingdom in a characteristically wide-ranging address in Kampong Cham province today.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony for a new building at the Kampong Cham provincial hospital, the premier said 33-year-old Hun Manet, promoted to a rank of two-star general in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces earlier this month, was well-qualified to serve in his new position.

“He has been military age for 16 years already,” Hun Sen said. “The military is obliged to promote in accordance with its internal framework.”

At a ceremony at the Ministry of Defence on January 3, Hun Manet became a two-star general and deputy commander-in-chief of the RCAF infantry.

There's no CPP infighting: it's just a "dog eat dog world" party

Cambodian PM denies rumors of ruling party infighting

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The recent replacement of Royal Cambodian Arms Forces' (RCAF) commander-in-chief was not indicative of any leadership infighting of the major ruling party of the kingdom, said national media on Saturday.

Internal conflict of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had nothing to do with the Jan. 22 decision to oust long-serving Ke Kim Yan, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the premier denied that there was any conflict, adding that whether RCAF commander-in-chief had been removed or not, CPP would be free of conflict.

"They say this removal was just to beef up Hun Sen's forces and weaken (CPP President and Senate President) Chea Sim's force. I would like to assert that, if we hadn't removed Ke Kim Yan, there would still be no problem inside CPP," he said.

"I would like to clarify things with the opposition who have endlessly commented that I wouldn't dare to touch the important army commanders, but when I removed him, you commented that it was the result of internal conflict of CPP," he said.

"I would like to assert that CPP doesn't have such a tradition of conflict on this issue, because this is the right of the premier to manage and control the military, police and other public administration," he said, adding that the removal aimed at "speeding reform" within the armed forces.

As the background of its reports, the Cambodia Daily said that "many have seen the abrupt removal of Ke Kim Yan as indicative of infighting within the leadership of the ruling party, with many rumors circulating about a behind-the-scenes battle between Hun Sen and Chea Sim."