Former Phnom Penh Municipal Court clerk Kruoch Borath took the stand again yesterday facing accusations of embezzling a $250,000 settlement in a 2011 civil suit, after the court reopened his case following a court-ordered reinvestigation in February.

Borath reiterated his statements to the court in January this year, saying he had received a total of $250,000 over the course of six payments but had kept only the first payment of $75,000, which he used as capital to lend out and earn interest.

The rest of the money, he said, was passed to then court deputy president Ke Sakhan.

Borath’s lawyer, May Vannady, suggested the court recheck the payment notes – all of which he said bore Sakhan’s signature.

Borath, 45, was arrested on October 29 last year at a club in Chamkarmon district after the court issued an arrest warrant accusing him of breach of trust and faking public documents.

Ke Sakhan, now a judge in Takeo province, rejected Borath’s accusations and said that the former clerk had forged his signature on the documents.

“I did not see the money and the documents,” added Sakhan, accusing Borath of slander. He went on to demand $500,000 in compensation.