Tycoon Srey Sothea, the managing director of the 7NG Group, and his son Srey Chanthou have been charged with fraud by Phnom Penh Municipal Court Prosecutor Keo Sothea.

The charges come in relation to the selling of land in Kandal province, said a warrant obtained by The Post on Monday.

Chhun Navy filed a complaint at court against Sothea, who held the honorific oknha, and Chanthou after buying a 1ha plot from them in Khsach Kandal district’s Vihear Sour commune in Kandal province in 2008.

Trusting the company, Navy said she did not demand a land title from them, accepting only ownership transfer documents.

But earlier this year, Navy discovered while intending to build a fence around the land that Sothea and Chanthou did not have it.

Prosecutor Sothea said the case was being treated as a breach of trust under articles 391 and 392 of the Criminal Code.

Sothea and Chanthou face six months to three years in prison and a fine of between one to six million riel ($250-$1,500) if found guilty.

Ministry of Justice Spokesman Chin Malin said any decision to detain a suspect generally rests with the investigating judge.

“A prosecutor can request a suspect be placed in temporary detention, but the final decision to detain them or place them under court supervision is that of the investigating judge,” Malin said.

Sothea and Chanthou could not be reached for comment by on Monday.

However, Sothea had previously issued a letter promising that 7NG will complete the sale of all outstanding land in late December of this year.

If that deadline were to pass with the company not having the land ready for its customers, 7NG would return all money paid at market price, the letter said.