The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld convictions levied against a former top aide of Senate President Chea Sim.

He was sentenced last year to a total of 36 years in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and Military Court on a raft of charges related to construction projects and land swaps.

Presiding judge Seng Sivutha upheld the sentence of Chhoeun Chanthan – who was also Chea Sim’s former chief body guard – as well as a $3 million repayment of stolen funds.

Chanthan was charged on nine counts in total, including breach of trust and embezzlement of state property – allegations repeatedly denied by Chantan.

Defence lawyer Put Theavy said he would be appealing the verdict, calling the outcome “highly unjust”.

Chanthan was arrested by military police in August 2011 during a raid in which they seized an Okano gun with three cases of bullets, five pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle, a machine gun and more than 1,400 bullets.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]