A warrant of arrest was issued on October 2 for a major general accused of public land encroachment.
Mondulkiri Provincial Court Investigating Judge Nhean Sovann issued the arrest warrant for Pov Sothearann, 43, for violating the Law on Natural Protected Areas.
Sovann lives in Srah Chak commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh. He is the deputy chief of the Land Border Police Department of the General Commissariat of National Police.
The warrant accuses him of felling trees, removing and burning forest and bulldozing forest land for ownership in Dak Dam commune, O’Raing district.
Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment director Keo Sopheak said on Monday he received news about detaining Sovann. His offence is bulldozing 40ha of forest land.
Adhoc’s Mondulkiri provincial coordinator Eang Mengly said on Monday he approves of the provincial court’s decision to detain a powerful official and encouraged further action to be taken against other offenders who do not stop encroaching on forest land.
Mengley said such cases happened a lot in Mondulkiri and authorities intervened often. But it still has not stopped. He said more serious measures were needed to prevent illegal land encroachment.
