Kandal Provincial Court has summonsed opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Chan Cheng and lawyer Choung Choungy to appear for questioning, but has not given them a date to appear because it is a “secret”.

Chan Cheng, who has had his parliamentary immunity stripped by the National Assembly, and lawyer Choung Choungy are charged with aiding and abetting the prison break of fellow SRP member Meas Peng in September.

“I have already sent the summons [on Tuesday],” Judge Sin Virak, who has been assigned to investigate the case, told the Post, but said there was no specific date for the questioning. “This is a secret case and I cannot tell.”

Choung Choungy said he had still not received the summons yesterday, but would face the “abusive” charges against him, which stem from another seemingly faulty execution of court duties by a Kandal Provincial Court judge.

The judge who arrested Meas Peng did not issue a warrant or associated paperwork to order his detention.

When Meas Peng arrived at the detention facilitiy in Kandal in September, his lawyer Choung Choungy walked out as there was no basis for prison officials to hold Meas Peng, they have said.

Cambodian Bar Association president Chiv Songhak said there were three lawyers prepared to defend Choung Choungy, but the association had not received official notice of the case from the court.

Chan Cheng fled to the US after his immunity was stripped and arrived in France yesterday, but the Post could not reach him.