Government lawyers secure the rights to act on behalf of Brilliant City World scam victims. Supplied
Siem Reap Provincial Court has summoned two officials for questioning in connection with a fraud case involving former tycoon Leng Channa. This development follows the detention of approximately 20 individuals linked to the Brilliant City World Co Ltd case.
The publicised summons comes after Prime Minister Hun Manet announced last week that government lawyers had requested additional subpoenas to further investigate the matter.
Investigating Judge Le Sivtean issued two separate subpoenas. Sar Thavy, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of National Defence, is scheduled to appear on December 11 as a witness, while Sean Borath, secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, is set to testify on December 18.
A summons dated November 18 specified the purpose of the questioning: "To provide clarification regarding the organised fraud case of significant severity that occurred in Ta Vien village, Sala Kamroeuk commune, Siem Reap town during 2022."
Additionally, a charge of money laundering was linked to activities in Siem Reap and other locations across Cambodia from 2018 to the present. The charge falls under Article 38 of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.
Furthermore, a December 13, 2023 charge for failure to meet obligations concerning negotiable instruments is subject to prosecution under Article 231 of the Law on Tradeable Instruments and Payment Transactions.
Since May, government lawyers have met with citizens 14 times, following a directive by the prime minister to represent and protect victims' interests. A total of 4,929 individuals have authorised the lawyers to safeguard their rights and benefits.
During the closing of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction’s annual meeting last week, Manet emphasised that legal mechanisms are the only solution for resolving the issue.
The Siem Reap court and government lawyers continue their efforts to assist affected citizens, noting that the case will require considerable time to conclude.
“We have worked on it, and the government's lawyer has requested court orders to summon additional people for further investigation,” Manet stated, adding that he read the court's announcement of the case.
“About 20 people have been detained. We will conduct further research to identify and issue orders to seize the assets of some stakeholders. This is not easy. If all these assets were placed in one warehouse, it would be very simple. But when the assets are spread out across various locations, the process becomes far more complicated,” he explained.
Separately, government lawyers are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to assist Cambodian workers abroad who have fallen victim to fraud. This partnership seeks to facilitate the workers in granting legal authority to the lawyers for court representation.
Regarding the Brilliant City case, Siem Reap Provincial Court spokesperson Yin Srang stated that he was unaware of the exact number of individuals who have been summoned for questioning.
