The owner of pig-importing business Dany Deng Import Export Co Ltd is disputing assertions made by government authorities that he falsified health documents concerning a shipment of live pigs from Thailand.

Oddar Meanchey provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries director Soth Sisokheang said on Thursday that the case is complicated.

“Authorities found mistakes with the importing practices of this company, including delivering more live pigs from Thailand than was permitted and using fake health documents,” he said.

After discovering the abnormalities, Department of Animal Health and Production authorities detained the drivers and sent the lorry to Phnom Penh to test the pigs’ blood for diseases.

However, when the lorry reached Kampong Thom province, a group of joint forces turned it back to Oddar Meanchey, Sisokheang said.

“I do not know where the truck is now. I also do not know why this case was sent to the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Court. Normally, it is the authority of the Department of Animal Health and Production to investigate and crack down on this type of incident,” he said.

Kampong Thom provincial prosecutor Sin Virak told The Post that the Oddar Meanchey provincial court requested the lorry to be sent back.

“Authorities sent the lorry and driver to Oddar Meanchey on Wednesday. The Oddar Meanchey provincial court will decide how to apply the law,” he said.

General Department of Animal Health and Production director Tan Phannara said he is solving the issue with the provincial court.

“We do not want to have a dispute with the court,” he said.

Dany Deng owner Khov Heng told The Post that he did not disagree with the fines assessed by the authorities, but he was upset that they accused his company of faking health documents from Thailand because it can affect his reputation and business.

“Expert authorities found that our company urgently delivered 60 pigs while the request was for only 40 pigs. That is true. Our drivers failed to take one more necessary document with them. Our company was requested to deliver 20 pigs to Kampong Thom.

“This is the delivery agent’s mistake. Our company did not cheat. The accusation that our company faked health documents from Thailand is unacceptable because it can affect my dignity and business,” Heng said, adding that he sent a representative to ensure the pigs would not die.

But Dany Deng general manager Buth Sathun said six of them had already succumbed to the heat and lack of food.