Rights group Adhoc defended itself yesterday against allegations it had asked 24-year-old hairdresser Khom Chandaraty to lie about her alleged affair with CNRP acting president Kem Sokha, calling on Chandaraty to retract the claim.

At a press conference yesterday, Adhoc director Thun Saray said the organisation had extended Chandaraty legal services because she was distressed and scared when she approached them, but was taken aback when she changed her statement while appearing before the public prosecutor.

“We do not want her to thank us or apologise, but we just want her to give us justice by saying that we have not advised her to tell lies,” he said.

The conference came after five Adhoc officials were summonsed to appear before the Anti-Corruption Unit after Chandaraty accused the organisation of telling her to lie to police.

After denying for two months that the voices on leaked intimate phone recordings belonged to her and Sokha, Chandaraty – also known as Srey Mom – unexpectedly changed her story under questioning and turned on her former supporters.

Saray also presented Chandaraty’s initial request to Adhoc for help and a video of her first visit to Adhoc’s office, in which she denied being the voice on the recording, all of which Saray said would be given to the ACU.

He went on to say that Chandaraty also made a request to leave the country with her relatives because she was “scared”.

It remained unclear yesterday why former Adhoc staffer and current National Election Committee official Ny Chakrya was also summonsed, given he left Adhoc months before the scandal broke.

Chakrya declined to comment yesterday apart from saying his summons was identical to the others.