Upon his arrival, he vowed to keep the public informed, and it is this very act that has caused so much trouble for international reserve co-investigating judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet, who departs the Khmer Rouge tribunal today.

As one of his final judicial acts in his role – an authority many Cambodian court staff and government officials have refused to acknowledge – Kasper-Ansermet on Tuesday released detailed information about the crimes former military commanders Meas Muth and Sou Met are alleged to have committed during the Khmer Rouge regime.

As well as detailing the two Case 003 suspects’ responsibilities, the Swiss judge alludes to the types of crimes that may have been perpetrated by the two.

Like all judicial steps Kasper-Ansermet has taken in government-opposed cases 003 and 004, he acted alone in issuing the two decisions this week that will make it harder for the controversial cases to simply go away.

In the decisions, he also highlighted Cambodian co-prosecutor Chea Leang’s disagreement to cases 003 and 004.

Chea Leang has previously said the court’s mandate will be fulfilled after prosecuting just two cases.

Cambodia’s Supreme Council of the Magistracy refused to endorse the UN’s appointment of Kasper-Ansermet due to his use of the social media website Twitter.

The UN said the council, which lists Chea Leang and Kasper-Ansermet’s Cambodian counterpart You Bunleng as its members, had failed to fulfill its obligation under the agreement between the two to establish the tribunal.  

UN Special Expert David Scheffer is in Phnom Penh, and an announcement is expected soon about how the UN will handle the empty international co-investigating judge role.