REPRESENTATIVES of 22 residents from Tuol Prasat Village in Banteay Meanchey Province’s O’Chrou district said yesterday that they intend to this week file a complaint against a Pursat provincial prosecutor who was arrested and charged by the Anticorruption Unit last week.

Chea Tha, 55, said he would file a complaint alleging that prosecutor Top Chan Sereyvuth – who, along with two personal bodyguards was charged on Tuesday last week with corruption, extortion and illegal detention – unjustly accused him and 21 others of living on state land and destroying state property in 2008.

“He accused us without any evidence,” Chea Than said, adding that he was incarcerated for five months and 18 days on charges that he claims were fabricated by Top Chan Sereyvuth.

“He created a fraud case to arrest and put us in prison, which caused some of us to leave from our homes and families because we were frightened, even though we hadn’t done anything wrong,” he said, adding that the accusations had also brought shame on many of the residents involved.

He said the residents’ complaint would request that the Pursat provincial court review the case against them, and to consider the issue in deciding any punishments for Top Chan Sereyvuth.

“We don’t want any compensation from this prosecutor, but we only want justice from the judge,” he said. “Moreover, the judge should additionally punish Top Chan Sereyvuth for his mistake [of] abusing innocent villagers.”

Phon Leap, 46, said she had added her thumbprint in support of the complaint against the prosecutor, who she claims was responsible for unjustly imprisoning her husband and thereby harming her family.

“I had to borrow money from others ... and my children didn’t go to school,” she said.

She said had been surprised and “very happy” to hear that the ACU had arrested the prosecutor.

You Yoeun Ny, acting provincial prosecutor, said he would deicide on a course of action after receiving and reviewing the residents’ complaint.

“We accept all complaints but [deciding whether] we work on it or not is our right,” he said.