UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Peter Taksoe-Jensen is expected to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An this week to discuss the beleaguered Khmer Rouge tribunal, according to media reports and government officials. 

Koy Kuong, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed Monday that his ministry had received a letter dated November 6 from the diplomat, requesting time with Sok An.

“Peter Taksoe-Jensen sent the letter to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he told the Post Monday. “In the letter, he requested to meet with Sok An on November 20-21 to discuss the work of the Khmer Rouge tribunal.”

UN court spokesman Peter Foster confirmed that a  meeting with a visiting UN official would take place but would not confirm it was Taksoe-Jensen. 

The meeting would come at a time when the UN-backed court is still grappling with allegations of corruption on the Cambodian side of its operations.

Corruption still unconfirmed

The tribunal was rocked by graft allegations earlier this year. A UN oversight body completed a review in September into the complaints, which involve reported salary kickbacks.

But the results of this review have yet to be made public.

Sok An recently received a letter from defendant Nuon Chea’s defence team, who urged him to release information about the allegations as soon as possible.

The lawyers maintained that corruption at the court would obstruct their client’s right to a fair trial.