An Adhoc staffer from Prey Veng province has been summonsed by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning in relation to cases against four of her colleagues who have spent more than two months in jail for alleged bribery in the ongoing Kem Sokha sex scandal investigation.
Eang Kimly, an Adhoc coordinator for Prey Veng, is scheduled to appear for questioning on July 26. Speaking to the Post, Kimly said she had yet to see the summons but had been informed that she has to appear before court as a witness.
“I am just a witness. Yes, I will appear [in court],” she said, declining to comment further.
Four Adhoc staffers – Yi Soksan, Lim Mony, Ny Sokha and Nay Vanda – have been jailed since early May for allegedly asking acting CNRP president Kem Sokha’s supposed mistress Khom Chandaraty to lie during testimony.
Adhoc provided Chandaraty legal assistance after she approached the rights group for help, following the leak on social media of audio recordings purportedly of conversations between her and Sokha.
The four, who are being held at Prey Sar prison, were charged with bribing a witness for allegedly offering $204 to Chandaraty’s mother at the time. Ny Chakrya, a former Adhoc official and National Election Committee deputy secretary-general, was charged as an accomplice and is in detention at Phnom Penh’s Police Judiciary prison.
Lor Chunty, an Adhoc lawyer for the four jailed staffers, said that he was unaware of the summons, and Thun Saray, the group’s president, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Court spokesman Ly Sophanna, in a statement to the media, confirmed the summons for Kimly, adding that there could be more witnesses yet called in the case. He did not divulge any names.
Moeun Tola, executive director of labour rights group Central, yesterday expressed regret at more Adhoc staffers being dragged into the case, adding that providing Chandaraty legal services was not a violation of the law.
“It is a case of trying to interfere in the work of civil society organisations,” he said. “It is regretful that the government does not end this ill-treatment [of Adhoc].”
