Representatives of SC Capital, a local diversified real estate company, have distanced the firm from fraud charges brought against one of its directors, who was arrested last week while reportedly attempting to flee the country.
Police arrested Eng Wei Khiong, 34, a Singaporean national also known as Jackie Eng, at Phnom Penh International Airport on June 23 after the Interior Ministry issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with an investment scheme that allegedly cheated up to 100 Cambodians out of nearly $3 million.
Sous Vicheavandy, deputy chief of secretariat administration at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told The Post yesterday that Eng was in custody on charges of financial fraud.
“[He] is now in the detention after questioning and the judge charged him with fraud,” he said, adding that he could not confirm the reported sum of $3 million.
Victims of the alleged fraud hired local attorney Dara Sopanha, who said Eng had asked them to deposit up to $10,000 each into his company with the promise of high returns, according to local media.
Eng is a partner and director of SC Capital, a local firm whose subsidiaries are engaged in real estate, interior design, marketing and property management. According to registration documents on the Ministry of Commerce database, the firm was established in May 2016 and has six Singaporean directors.
Buth Kolyan, former business development director and assistant to Eng at SC Capital, said yesterday that she had left the firm about a year ago and to the best of her knowledge believed that Eng was removed as CEO of the company four months ago when a new shareholder came in. Kolyan could not provide the identity of the new shareholder.
Contacted yesterday, both the head of accounting and human resources for SC Capital claimed that the business was running as usual.
A director of the company, who declined to give his name, said in a text message that Eng was still a partner of SC Capital, but the charges were unrelated to any of the company’s financial activities.
“Jackie is my partner in SC Capital, [and] I’m still running SC Capital,” he wrote. “[The charges have] nothing to do with SC Capital.”
According to the company’s website, SC Capital has operated as a marketing agent for high-profile real estate developments in Phnom Penh that include The Peak, Bodaiju Residences and The Gateway.
Additional reporting by Cheng Sokhorng
