Phnom Penh Municipal Court will announce a verdict on April 21 in the appeal case of former Battambang provincial chief of the Norodom Ranariddh Party who was charged with incitement and illegally using a gun in June last year, court officials said yesterday.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge You Bunna said at a hearing yesterday that Nou Kim Y was sentenced in absentia on June 3 last year to one year in prison and a fine of 1 million riel (US$248).

NRP Secretary General Sao Rany filed a complaint against Nou Kim Y asking for 50 million riel (US$12,385) in compensation and for the court to take measures against Nou Kim Y for insulting him and another NRP member and using a gun to threaten people at the NRP head office on June 19, 2007.

Nou Kim Y was arrested on March 1 in Boeung Kak II commune in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district.

He denied the accusations during the hearing, saying that he went to meet Sao Rany at the NRP head office to claim money for his work in Battambang province.

“I don’t accept the absentia sentence because I did not do anything wrong,” said Nou Kim Y.

“I want the court to release me and let me have freedom again because I need to look after my 6 children whose mother passed away.”

Ung Sokhom, a NRP advisor at the Council of Ministers, said in court on Wednesday that Nou Kim Y had shouted loudly at the cabinet and pointed a gun at him, threatening him and asking for Sao Rany.

“I begged him to return back home,” said Ung Sokhom. “On that day, if he met Sao Rany, there might be killing.”

Nou Kim Y’s lawyer Nil Sovann said that his client did not commit the crime and went to the cabinet to demand money owed to him by Sao Rany.

“It was unjust for my client because NRP made up the problem to press charges on him to make him guilty,” said Nil Sovann.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court deputy prosecutor Plang Sophal said that there was nothing new in the case and the verdict should be upheld.