He Koeun, former head of the Economic and Community Development Office of Stung Sen town in Kampong Thom province, has been sentenced to seven years for forest crimes. FB
The Kampong Thom Provincial Court has sentenced He Koeun, former head of the Economic and Community Development Office of Stung Sen town, to seven years in prison for his involvement in the destruction of a section of the flooded forests around the Tonle Sap Lake.
His accomplice Sae Song Heng, a farmer, received a six year sentence for the same offending.
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) issued a March 24 report which stated that the unit has not yet decided whether charges will be laid against Koeun’s wife Pech Chheng Im, their daughter Sok Kunthea, or three journalists — Kong Kan, Huy Oudom and Keo Savy — all of whom commented on the case. The ACU has accused them of “incitement” against anti-corruption efforts.
In July last year, the ACU transferred Koeun’s case to the Kampong Thom Provincial Court, where he was charged with the deliberate destruction and illicit land transactions within the flooded forest zone of the province.
Previously, his wife Chheng Im claimed that the clearing of flooded forests in Zone 3 — an area designated for conservation within the Tonle Sap Lake region — involved powerful individuals who held authority over her husband.
She alleged that two titled Oknha were involved in the case, but refused to disclose their identities.
According to her, the two businessmen, both major landowners, had a dispute and had asked her husband to mediate. One of the two was unhappy with his decision, and set her husband up to be “scapegoated”.
Huy Oudom from Oudom TV, and He Koen's family protested his involvement in the case. FB
Soy Chanvichet, ACU spokesperson for the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), told The Post that the accusations by Koeun’s wife and daughter – as well as journalists Kan (Kong Kan TV), Oudom (Oudom TV), and Savy – that the ACU detained Koeun for six months, is false information because the ACU does not have the authority to detain anyone.
He added that any claims made by the aforementioned individuals that suggest Koeun is an innocent person who did not commit any offense are baseless, and not in accordance with the law.
“During his recent hearing at the Kampong Thom Provincial Court, the court sentenced Koeun to seven years in prison and his accomplice to six. This ruling confirms that Koeun did indeed commit an offense, consistent with the evidence compiled by the unit and submitted to the court. Therefore, their claims do not reflect the truth,” he said.
“The unit will continue legal proceedings. These measures also serve to support and protect professional journalists,” he explained.
When asked whether there are additional suspects in the case, Chavichet clarified that he could not yet provide information, as it might affect the confidentiality of the investigation.
