Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Court returns disputed land to firm in Preah Vihear

Court returns disputed land to firm in Preah Vihear

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Authorities enforce the verdict in Rovieng district on May 13. SUPPLIED

Court returns disputed land to firm in Preah Vihear

A joint force, acting on the Preah Vihear Provincial Court order, on May 13 confiscated 23.4ha of state land from an individual and returned it to Mekong Rubber Plantation Co Ltd after he was judged to have illegally occupied the land – which had been granted to the company as an economic land concession (ELC).

In executing the court’s verdict, they also arrested three suspects after discovering a large stock of illegal timber stock on the land illegally occupied by Chea Sengkun in Chi Ork village of Rovieng district’s Romny commune.

Police are currently searching for Sengkun, who has been sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison.

Som Sivutha, director of the Forestry Administration’s (FA) Rovieng district cantonment, identified the trio as Kong Heng, 54, from Balaing commune’s Ta Trav village of Kampong Thom province’s Baray district; So Thou, 21, and Heng Chamroeun, 13, both from Kien Svay district’s Dei Ith commune of Kandal province.

“The arrests were made after the joint force found several cubic metres of illegal forest products and by-products on a plot of land illegally occupied by Chea Sengkun. The three suspects initially appeared to be staying there,” he said.

Sivatha added that police found 106 pieces of ta sek timber, almost equal to 6 cubic metres. The timber is currently being stored on the cantonment’s premises. The trio were sent to court for further questioning and were later released.

Deputy prosecutor Kim Samleng confirmed to The Post on May 16 that the three men were allowed to return to their work on May 14 after questioning determined that they were not responsible for the offence.

He added that the trio claimed to be rubber plantation workers and cooks for the Mekong Rubber Plantation and only went to sleep there because they saw that the sawmills were empty.

Samleng said police are currently searching for Chea Sengkun in accordance with an arrest warrant issued by Judge Yut Ponleu on May 5, after the verdict dated January 11 came into force.

Sengkun was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison by Judge Ponleu for “infringements on ownership and other legal rights to immovable property”.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom