Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Phnom Penh municipal court delays the announcement of the sentence on opposition leader Sam Rainsy

08 September 2010
By Sean Kosal
DAP News
Translated from Khmer by Soch

Ky Tech, the government lawyer. By RFA/ Quoc Viet


Phnom Penh city – Following a morning-long questioning in the lawsuit case against opposition leader Sam Rainsy who was [falsely] accused of falsification of documents involving the border issues, the Phnom Penh municipal court judge did not announce the sentence in this case yet. The sentence will be delayed to 23 September 2010.

Ky Tech, the government lawyer, sued opposition leader Sam Rainsy on 28 February 2010, accusing him of falsification of public documents involving eastern border with Vietnam.

During the hearing held in the morning of 08 September without the presence of Sam Rainsy, all questions were handled by Chuong Chou-ngy, Sam Rainsy’s defense lawyer. Several opposition MPs and officials showed up to the hearing, they all claimed that this case is politically motivated. Nevertheless, government officials always claimed the opposite, and they said that this is merely the application of the law.

Sam Rainsy was sentenced to 2-year of jail time by the Svay Rieng provincial court at the beginning of 2010 , he was also ordered to pay a fine of close to 60 million riels for the uprooting of border stakes on 25 October 2009 in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. Currently, Sam Rainsy is living in self-exile overseas.

No comments: