Fraud accusation

A military official has filed a complaint accusing a disgraced former adviser to the Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia’s monkhood, Tep Vong, of having used his position to have his wife arrested on false charges.

Yim Savuth, 52, a soldier at the Ministry of National Defence and member of the Cambodian Red Cross, alleged Chan Sophal coerced court officials into charging his wife with fraud because he refused to lend the retired adviser $10,500, in a complaint filed to Phnom Penh Municipal Court last week.   

“Only because Chan Sophal used his fake position as an Excellency and used the [former] position of adviser to Samdech Tep Vong, Supreme [Patriarch] of Monks . . . did the Phnom Penh court prosecutor uphold the criminal case [against my wife],” the complaint stated.

Savuth said his wife, Ream Darin, was arrested on June 13 and then charged with defrauding people in a popular betting game after Sophal incited her fellow players to accuse her of cheating.

He is demanding $150,000 in compensation and that Sophal be arrested. Darin will face court tomorrow.

Sophal, who was terminated as an adviser by Tep Vong in a November 28 ruling for exploiting his position for personal gain, yesterday said he had only ever revealed his title when asked and denied all accusations against him.

Municipal court prosecutor Yet Chakrya could not be reached for comment.