Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Six sent to court for deforestation

Six sent to court for deforestation

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Six people were arrested for inciting others to occupy state land in Prey Nop district of Preah Sihanouk province. PREAH SIHANOUK PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION

Six sent to court for deforestation

Six of 43 suspects have been sent to the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court for deforestation of a patch of land in Tuol Totoeng 2 village of Prey Nop district’s Tuol Totoeng commune.

Provincial court spokesman Huot Vichet told The Post on October 24 that the prosecutor’s office was examining the case before deciding on the charges.

“The outcome is based on the answer of the suspects and witnesses and evidence collected by authorities,” he said.

Cheap Sotheary, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said she had not yet gathered all the information on the case.

She said the six people were among those who have been accused of encroaching on forest land under the management of the provincial Forestry Administration.

However, Sotheary said she would investigate and provide comprehensive information about the case as she had previously received documents from residents claiming they had occupied the land from 1994 to 1996, but the land was later designated as forest cover under the Forestry Administration.

“Now, it is very difficult for us to get information from relevant authorities. We can only get it from the people as we want to assist them. People cannot afford to hire a lawyer for $1,000 to $2,000 to defend the case for them,” she said.

Provincial Forestry Administration director Dy Sokhom declined to comment.

But according to the provincial hall, a joint task force on October 22 arrested 43 people, eight of them women, at the location.

Six of them were sent to the provincial police for further questioning, while 37 others were reprimanded and made to sign a contract with the commune chief before being released.

The provincial hall said questioning had revealed that the people, some of whom were from other provinces, were cheated by a broker who told them to clear the forest to share the land.

It called on all citizens not to be deceived by brokers who incite them to encroach on forest and private land claiming it as their own as well as using violence against civil officials which would result in legal action.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is