Kry Masphal, Director of the Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity of the Forestry Administration (FA), arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport on March 25. MAFF
A Cambodian forestry official has finally been reunited with his family after more than 16 months of US court proceedings regarding allegations that he was involved in the alleged illegal sale of monkeys to US animal testing facilities. Cambodian authorities have long maintained the allegations were unwarranted.
Kry Masphal, director of the Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity of the Forestry Administration (FA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, arrived home from the US on the night of March 25, following his acquittal.
He was one of eight individuals indicted by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida for allegedly violating the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the US’ Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act.
He was detained at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on November 16, 2022, while transiting to attend a CITES meeting in Panama, and then indicted by the Florida court for conspiring with a Hong Kong-owned company to smuggle long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) into the US between December 2017 and January 2022.
“My family and I would like to thank Prime Minister Hun Manet, agriculture minister Dith Tina and all of the other leaders who supported me and took care of my family during my absence,” said Masphal, after he touched down in Phnom Penh on the night of March 25.
He explained that their support had motivated his family to continue to seek justice for him.
“I feel like I am reborn. I survived the Khmer Rouge regime and regard January 7, 1979 as my second birthday. Now, it is like my third birthday. I must thank all of the Kingdom’s leaders for this,” Masphal added, referring to the Victory over Genocide Day which marks the collapse of the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror.
An agriculture ministry press release said Masphal will refrain from making any comment for now, in order to ensure integrity of the ongoing proceedings.
The ministry regarded the allegations by the US prosecution and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a misrepresentation of Cambodian officials.
"This misrepresentation was based on evidence obtained via improper investigations, concealed from Cambodian authorities, and contravening normal practices of cross-border law enforcement,” it said.
"The allegations against Cambodia regarding the long-tailed macaque trade had no evidence and relied on unfounded assertions disseminated by certain individuals or NGO personnel. They were disseminated through local unprofessional media and Western mainstream media which aimed to discredit Cambodian officials and influence the court’s decision," it added.
"Thus far, all long-tailed macaque exports from Cambodia have adhered strictly to international laws and conventions. Despite assertions from Cambodian authorities regarding legal documents, allegations about the long-tailed macaque trade persist,” it continued.
The ministry said the US. court's decision to dismiss the charges against Masphal represent a "fair judgment, and affirms that Cambodian officials have consistently upheld laws, regulations, and international conventions."
It congratulated Masphal on receiving justice, while warning that the US Fish and Wildlife Service had overstepped their authority and failed to adhere to international best practices the enforcement of cross-border laws.
“The efforts of the Cambodian government to pursue justice for its official underscores the principle that honourable Cambodian officials must not be subjected to abuse under any circumstances,” it concluded.
