The trial of nine men accused of organized crime for their alleged involvement with

the outlawed Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) was postponed on May 6, when a lawyer

failed to turn up.

Five of the accused attended court with their lawyer, but four more suspects still

at large and set to be tried in absentia were not represented.

Trial judge Tan Senarong did not set a date for the next hearing.

Chea Chanthorn, Tuy Bol, Penh Bora and Van Vuthy, all in their forties, were arrested

in Phnom Penh in November last year, while the deputy chief of Funcinpec in Pailin,

So Kim, was arrested in Pailin on February 13.

Son Arun, the lawyer present at the short-lived hearing, identified the accused men

still at large as being Suy Seng, 46, Tang Teak, 40, Khim Born, 49 and Chhin Pov,

31.

Before the hearing, one of the accused Van Vuthy complained that in recent months

he had not been given medical treatment for an old gunshot wound and showed reporters

his swollen stomach.

Run from headquarters in the United States, the CFF says it is dedicated to toppling

the Cambodian People's Party and was blamed for attacks on government ministries

and military barracks on November 24, 2000 that left up to eight people dead.