A businessman was tried by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday on charges of breach of trust in connection with losing six bulldozers worth an estimated $1.7 million he had hired to dig and clear land for his Por Sen Chey district business in 2008.

According to Judge Kim Roathnarin, defendant Ly Theangmeam stands accused of breaching a contract with plaintiff Kuch Try.

“He had borrowed six bulldozers, and had made the contract with the plaintiff to use them for his own businesses but lost them [to other business partners] and did not return them or pay any compensation to the plaintiff until now,” Roathnarin said.

Eventually, after years of seeking redress, Try filed a suit against Theangmeam, who was arrested in February last year.

According to court documents, Theangmeam in 2009 began a three-year prison term for issuing a false cheque worth $100,000 after being sued by three business partners. During his trial yesterday, Theangmeam denied the allegations against him and said he was unable to return the bulldozers to the owner or pay the rental fee was because of his 2009 imprisonment.

According to Theangmeam, his three business partners at the time seized the six bulldozers, along with another 12 owned by Theangmeam, during the course of the business dispute.

A verdict is due to be handed down on February 3.