Hundreds of representatives of some 2,000 families in Siem Reap province gathered again on Wednesday in front of the provincial court demanding a company owner return the money they had invested.
The second protest came after Dim Suon Nat, the CEO of Enarita Development Co Ltd who has been detained in the fraud case, signed a letter on March 15 promising to return their investments once he is released.
One of the protesters, who only gave her first name as Boramey, told The Post on Wednesday that in mid-March, the representatives also gathered in front of the court requesting Suon Nat’s release, but to no avail.
The provincial court has said it would hear the case next month.
Boramey urged the court to expedite the case as Suon Nat had been detained for nine months without a trial.
“We ask for Suon Nat’s release because the court has detained him longer than what is allowed by law and nothing seems to be working out. I don’t know why this case is complicated. He has no legal representation. No one dare interfere in his affairs,” she said.
Another protester who only gave his first name, Sopheak, said the more than 2,000 families that had invested in the company are facing hardship as they need to repay loans with interests to banks and private lenders.
He wants the court to free Suon Nat so he can come forward to address the issue.
“I beg Samdech [Prime Minister Hun Sen] to seek justice for the more than 2,000 families,” he said.
Provincial court deputy prosecutor Theng Samnang told the protesters on Wednesday that the court would hear the case on May 27.
“The court is not leaving this case behind. You don’t know how complicated this case is, but it will proceed anyway. We will inform and summon relevant parties to appear in court,” he said.
Suon Nat, 36, resides in Phnom Penh Thmey commune, in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district. His company had seven subsidiaries across the country and invested in several sectors including real estate, coffee, purified water and education.
The company had branches in the capital, Siem Reap and other provinces with marketing managers in charge.
The Siem Reap provincial court charged him with fraud and issuing fake cheques in July last year in a case that involved “millions of dollars” in the investment scheme.
