Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Ex-envoy to South Korea had piles of cash, ACU says as charges laid

Ex-envoy to South Korea had piles of cash, ACU says as charges laid

Cambodian Ambassador to South Korea Suth Dina prepares to leave Phnom Penh Municipal Court last night after being charged with illegally embezzling money.
Cambodian Ambassador to South Korea Suth Dina prepares to leave Phnom Penh Municipal Court last night after being charged with illegally embezzling money. Pha Lina

Ex-envoy to South Korea had piles of cash, ACU says as charges laid

Controversial Ambassador to South Korea Suth Dina was charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday for unlawful exploitation and abuse of power, after an Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation found him in possession of 12.7 kilograms of gold and $7.2 million cash.

Dina’s defence lawyer, Hok Phalla, said the investigating judge had sent his client to pre-trial detention, adding that Dina told the judge that he was being wrongfully charged and only made “small administrative mistakes”, due to his diplomatic inexperience.

“He has limited experience in controlling general and administration work, especially accounting,” Phalla said. “He is still young and fresh for a diplomat.”

Dina has been charged with abuse of power under Article 35 of the Anti-Corruption Law and articles 597 and 598 of the Criminal Code for unlawful exploitation.

He was taken in for questioning by the ACU on Monday and remained in custody ever since.

At a press conference earlier in the day, ACU President Om Yentieng highlighted the extent of Dina’s infractions and the massive amounts of wealth he had allegedly amassed.

The investigation revealed that Dina was in possession of $7.2 million in cash, $3 million more than the $4.2 million he had in 2013, 339 damlungs of gold, or 12.7 kilograms, as well as 500 gems, 10 huge plots of land, and two villas, though the location of the last two were unspecified.

Yentieng added that Dina had two “unofficial staff”, Chap Meadey and close aide Son Mon Yong, who were running the embassy’s administration, bypassing Cambodian embassy staff.

“She [Maradey] did all the jobs in the embassy,” Yentieng said. “When she got money, she handed it to Suth Dina directly.

“His close man was Mon Yong, who was Korean and also in charge of everything, including paperwork for Cambodian women marrying Korean men,” he added.

Yentieng said Dina had misappropriated funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, using part of the monthly $20,000 given to the embassy to pay Meadey and Mon Yong, as well as failing to deposit nearly $12,000 in visa fees to state coffers despite multiple reminders.

A handcuffed Suth Dina appears outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.
A handcuffed Suth Dina appears outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday. Pha Lina

Following complaints from workers in South Korea, the ACU found that Dina was directing compensation meant for the families of dead workers into an undisclosed account, an accusation, Yentieng said, to which Dina had confessed. “I just want to say that he is not poor,” Yentieng said.

On hearing the charges against her son, Suth Dina’s mother, Yam Chheav Eng, yesterday continued to maintain his innocence and guaranteed that Dina did not possess the large sums of money attributed to him by the ACU.

“Before he went there [South Korea] he did land trading, so he has some [money],” she said. “But $7 million and a dozen kilograms of gold – it is ridiculous.”

Driving home her point, she said Dina would always borrow money from friends when he visited Cambodia, and currently could not even pay for his ailing father’s medical treatment in South Korea. She urged Prime Minister Hun Sen to “find justice for her son”.

Yi Sinorn, president of an opposition CNRP-aligned youth group in South Korea, said he was aware of the two people who allegedly assisted Dina, adding that the “Korean man” had worked at the embassy before Dina took over as envoy.

“The Korean man has been in the embassy since the previous ambassador and has many complaints against him about corruption in Korea,” Sinorn said.

He added that Dina alleged that the Cambodian government was looking to bring him down, as they suspected he would defect during the 2018 national elections.

Additional reporting by Chhay Channyda and Pech Sotheary

MOST VIEWED

  • Joy as Koh Ker Temple registered by UNESCO

    Cambodia's Koh Ker Temple archaeological site has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17. The ancient temple, also known as Lingapura or Chok Gargyar, is located in

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Manet touches down in Beijing for high-level meetings

    Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on September 14 for his first official visit to China, where he is slated to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and meet other leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Upon his arrival, Manet laid a wreath at the Monument

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former