Hush money

Kampong Cham provincial court yesterday charged two Cambodian journalists with extortion following their arrest in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

“These two journalists were charged with the criminal act of extortion ... just a few hours after being interrogated,” said court prosecutor Huoth Vuthy. “They are now detained at the Kampong Cham provincial court awaiting further investigation and hearings.”

Kang Arun,  vice-president of the Press Council of Cambodia, and Prum San, a reporter for the Kampuchea Sachak Newspaper, have been accused of demanding US$300 each from Leng Horm, the chief of Pram Yam commune in Kampong Cham’s Srei Santhor district, in exchange for not publishing critical stories about him.

PCC President Sok Sovann said yesterday that entrapment was used in order to make the arrests, adding that he had written to the governor of Kampong Cham, asking him to secure the release of his vice-president, Kang Arun, on bail while the court conducts further investigations.