The Phnom Penh Post

UN officials in New York are reviewing new allegations of corruption made by Cambodian staff at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, according to Knut Rosandhaug, the court's deputy director of administration. The nature of the allegations has not been made public.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services is responsible for reviewing the allegations, which were brought forward after court Director of Administration Sean Visoth penned a memo to all staff June 25. At that time, Visoth wrote that "a report has been recently received concerning new allegations of corruption regarding deductions from salaries of officials and staff at the ECCC."

He then instructed staff and officials to report any knowledge of wrongdoing to proper authorities.

Rosandhaug said he did not know what had prompted Visoth's original memo and whether it had been the catalyst for allegations received after June 25.

"There is no way to know what factor or combination of factors inspired any individual to make the decisions they made," Rosandhaug said in reference to staff who came forward.

As a result of the allegations, around 250 Cambodian staffers at the tribunal have not received paychecks for the month of July.

Court spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said the checks had been expected July 28 and that she hoped the situation would "actually be resolved very soon."

This is not the first time charges of corruption have been leveled at the court. While the results of a special audit released in April declared court administration "robust and ready to take on the challenges of the next phase of operations," the review failed to investigate previous claims of kickbacks.

The audit had restored some degree of donor confidence in the court -- confidence that could be shaken if these new allegations appear well-founded.

And the allegations could hardly come at a worse time. The court is in the process of lobbying donors for funds and an indictment against Comrade Duch is expected any day. His trial is expected to begin in September, which can't come soon enough for court observers worried the elderly defendants may die before they face the tribunal.

Rosandhaug's response to how these allegations might affect fund-raising: "I am of course concerned."