Land Concessionaire Gives $130,000 to Officials

Businessman Try Pheap, who in recent months received large-scale economic land concessions in Boeng Per Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, has donated $130,000 to the sanctuary’s environmental management and the local CPP office,  officials said yesterday. Recipients of the funds denied that there was a conflict of interest in accepting money from a land concessionaire who is clearing protected forest to establish a rubber plantation. In May, the Environment Ministry approved a 9,916-hectare rubber concession for Try Pheap Import and Export Company.