A cousin of Cambodia’s prime minister and a senior government official will go on trial in Phnom Penh next month facing allegations of a land grab in a case that has highlighted ongoing efforts to battle corruption in the country.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court had postponed three earlier attempts to bring the case to trial. The same court announced Tuesday that it will hear the case on May 5.
Di Prem, a local businesswoman and cousin to Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been charged with corruption for allegedly paying U.S. $200,000 to influence the 2008 investigation of a land dispute in Dangkao district.
Seng Yean, a senior government official, was also charged with corruption for allegedly accepting the bribe.
“I requested that the prime minister observe the court proceedings. If the court does not work for justice, land grabbers will not stop robbing property from the people,” said Huot Sarom, the alleged victim of the land grab.
“They will be happy because the courts will have made no progress,” she said.
Sarom’s attorney, Kao Ty, said he expects the court to rule in the plaintiff’s favor.
“I want the court to provide justice for my client and prosecute the perpetrators,” he said.
Land grab allegations
According to Huot Sarom, Di Prem paid Seng Yean the U.S. $200,000 on behalf of 120 families who opposed her claim to 5 hectares (12 acres) of land in Dangkao district’s Kakab commune.
Sarom says Seng Yean accepted the bribe before signing a document which acknowledged the claim by the families, allowing them to collectively sell the land to a group of businessmen for a profit.
Both Seng Yean—who was fired because of the allegations—and Di Prem have denied the charges.
If found guilty, Seng Yean faces between three and seven years in prison, while Di Prem faces between one and three years.
The trial has been repeatedly delayed, most recently on Dec. 29 after judges granted a delay request to the two defendants after they failed to appear in court.
According to the Cambodia Daily, Sarom and her lawyer Kao Ty had sent numerous letters to the Justice Ministry, municipal judges, and Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit until finally convincing the courts to set a new date to hear their case.
Judge Dith Munty, co-chair of the Council of Minister’s legal and judicial reform council, forwarded the complaint to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, asking officials there to take action.
“[Judge Munty] is the one who manages judges nationwide. His letter could ensure justice,” Kao Ty told the Cambodia Daily.
Corruption Law
In March 2010, Cambodia introduced an anti-graft law requiring government officials to declare their assets every two years.
If convicted of accepting bribes, government officials can now face up to 15 years in prison.
Governments and agencies around the world have frequently called on Hun Sen and Cambodian leadership to tackle corruption more seriously.
Although the anti-graft law has been put into effect and an anti-corruption unit and council have been put in place, Cambodia is still one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to anti-graft organization Transparency International.
Berlin-based Transparency International ranked Cambodia 154th worst out of 178 countries in its 2010 corruption perception index, released in October last year.
International organizations question the value of the anti-graft law because of its lack of transparency.
Critics also argue that the new anti-corruption bodies will not be effective until they are no longer connected to the government.
Reported by Sok Serey for RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Written in English by Rachel Baker.