No mistake was made when former Anco Brothers executive Heng Chheang and his wife, Tep Kolap, were arrested last year, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday.

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Pin Vannak, a defence lawyer for the couple, had argued they had been arrested illegally because the Phnom Penh municipal court had not summonsed them before issuing warrants.

Heng Chheang and Tep Kolap, former rector of Phnom Penh International University, were jailed last month for a breach of trust over the disappearance of more than $58 million from the bank accounts of Anco Brothers, a company owned by Sok Im, the wife of senator Kok An.

Supreme Court judge Khim Pon said the Phnom Penh municipal court had done nothing wrong by arresting the couple on June 18.

“The Supreme Court understands there was not any mistake made in the [court’s] arresting procedure for Heng Chheang and Tep Kolap,” he said.

The couple also appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a decision by the Appeal Court not to release them while they appealed.

“The suspects have already been convicted by the lower courts, and their case is still in court. Therefore, the Supreme Court refuses their bid for bail,” Khim Pon said.

The Appeal Court upheld the couple’s sentences last month and ordered them to repay Kok An, the chairman of Anco Brothers, more than US$58 million.

They have appealed that verdict to the Supreme Court.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]