Still at Large, Chhouk Bundith Has Case Sent to Appeal Court
Although the Svay Rieng Provincial Court announced the ex-governor’s sentence in June and ordered his immediate arrest, he has remained elusive to the authorities. His lawyers filed an appeal in July to the Appeal Court challenging the provincial court’s verdict. Sun Bunnarith, Chhouk Bundith’s lawyer, claimed that he did not know the whereabouts of his client but was sure he was still in Cambodia. … Rights groups have repeatedly said that the failure to arrest Chhouk Bundith is proof of rampant impunity and a corrupt court system. Moeun Tola, head of the labor program the Community Legal Education Center—which provided legal aid for the three victims—reiterated Monday that the authorities lacked the will to arrest the convicted governor, given his connections to high-ranking CPP officials such as Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An. … However, National Police spokesman Lieutenant General Kirth Chantharith said police are trying their best to find Chhouk Bundith, and implored local people to inform authorities of his location. …
Khy Sovuthy and Dene-Hern Chen
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/still-at-large-chhouk-bundith-has-case-sent-to-appeal-court-40914/
