The former head of an informal credit association – known as a tontine – who was accused of fraud and arrested some seven months ago was released on bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.

With the support of the Cam­bodian Bar Association, the tontine leader, Ream Darin, 48, had been involved in a legal battle to be released on bail after being detained for a period double the length of the pre-trial detention legally permitted under the Cambodian penal code, even after a judge ordered the reinvestigation of her case in December.

“The court received defence lawyer Im Socheat’s complaint, and released Darin,” presiding Judge Y Thavarak said yesterday. 

“The plaintiffs can appeal.”

Prosecutor Sy Vanny acknowledged Darin’s detention was lengthy and accepted her release on grounds that Darin had a job and an official address, making it easier to summons her again.

After the roughly 30-minute hearing, Darin’s lawyer, Im Socheat, said that such lengthy detentions were common.

 

To contact the reporter on this story: Lieng Sarith at [email protected]