Law and judiciary

The defence team for Meas Muth has said terminating the proceedings against the alleged Khmer Rouge naval commander is the “only legitimate and lawful option” if funds cannot be found to ensure a fair trial. ...

Thirty lawmakers have agreed to once again alter Cambodia’s controversial Law on Political Parties – the second change so far this year – with ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan leaving little doubt that the new law would target one person: Sam Rainsy. ...

Two village officials from Oddar Meanchey province filed complaints on Friday against one-star General Duong Sina, accusing him of using violence against them and two other villagers, though Military Police yesterday said the general appeared to have fled. ...

Australians facilitating tours and volunteer programs at orphanages in foreign countries such as Cambodia may eventually face criminal charges if a recently opened inquiry in Australia results in legislation.   ...

The number of traffic accidents and fatalities increased marginally during the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year, though the number of injuries dropped. ...

The Appeal Court yesterday upheld prison sentences for former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two of his assistants, along with former Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Senator Hong Sok Hour, on charges stemming from the latter’s comments on the contentious Vietnam border issue. ...

In a surprise move, four human rights workers and an election official, collectively known as the “Adhoc 5”, were released from pretrial detention yesterday evening, 427 days after they were taken into custody on bribery charges relating to an opposition sex scandal. ...

Two police officials – one the deputy police chief of Kandal’s Takhmao town and the son of Provincial Police Chief Eav Chamroeun – are the subject of a complaint filed with the Ministry of Interior by three people who allege they might have colluded to ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a Vietnamese  businesswoman, who stormed a forestry office to steal her seized timber, to two years imprisonment and a fine of $12,500. ...

National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) President Ke Kim Yan announced his intention to extend Cambodia’s anti-drug campaign yesterday, nearly six months and more than 8,000 arrests since the controversial crackdown began. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng has vowed an investigation into an alleged arms trafficking operation linked to a Cambodian official, saying information from suspects indicated the guns were smuggled via a “corridor” in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province into Thailand and did not pass through the international ...

Twenty-four inmates in Kampong Speu’s provincial prison – where five prisoners escaped earlier this week – are reportedly experiencing a combination of respiratory difficulties, coughing, skin rashes and swollen legs.   ...

The 13-month investigation into five current and former human rights workers known as the ‘Adhoc 5’ has ended, a court spokesman said on Wednesday, paving the way for a trial in a case widely condemned as being unjust and politically motivated. ...

The top military and police officials in Mondolkiri province have opened investigations into some of their soldiers and officers after a news story claimed they were involved in timber trafficking into Vietnam. ...

During an otherwise routine National Assembly session to make amendments to the Senate Election Law, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay yesterday took the opportunity to criticise the assembly for not adhering to immunity laws after the arrests and convictions of lawmakers Um Sam An and Senator ...

The government is preparing legislation aimed at ensuring tighter control over the nation’s pawnshops to ensure professionalism in a sector that has grown rapidly and lacks a supervisory framework. ...

A group representing some of the largest apparel brands in the U.S., including Gap and Levi Strauss, are urging Prime Minister Hun Sen to reconsider controversial provisions in a pair of draft laws on wages and labor disputes. ...

Cambodian immigration officer Leang Piseth, who is detained in Thailand on suspicion of smuggling weapons, is a relative by marriage of Defence Minister Tea Banh, as well as of recently reassigned Koh Kong Provincial Governor Bun Leut and retired high-ranking Police General Tham Sann, The ...

Anti-economic Crime Police officials on Friday arrested a stock manager working for the Phuong Heng Company in Phnom Penh for his alleged involvement in the storage of illegal goods. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen used a public speech yesterday to mercilessly mock former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, taunting him to make good on a promise to return to Cambodia, sarcastically referring to him as a “hero” and even singing a few bars of a classic ...

In the first and only day of her trial yesterday, prominent alleged timber trader Heng Samnieng claimed that Military Police officers had tried to sell off pieces of timber confiscated by authorities in Stung Treng, where she was arrested in October while allegedly attempting to ...

The Ministry of Commerce and other relevant ministries will meet later this month to review progress on the country’s first consumer protection law and formulate a plan to complete the draft legislation, a ministry official said yesterday. ...

The Justice Ministry has launched a 100-day campaign to improve the court system. Ministry spokesman Chin Malin said while the system was widely regarded by outsiders as fair and without corruption, it was now time for a self-assessment to confirm its effectiveness. ...

The amount of money political parties spent on the campaign trail ahead of yesterday’s nationwide commune elections varied wildly, with observers and party members yesterday blaming the lack of a campaign finance law in Cambodia for what they characterised as the uneven playing field among ...