Court Questions Cambodian, Chinese Businessmen Over Fraud
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday questioned two businessmen over allegations of fraud and using forged public documents, including claims they faked a signature from Prime Minister Hun Sen in a mining transaction, court and police officials said. Deputy prosecutor Var Sakada said Cambodian Al Romny, 41, and Chinese national Chin Mingxin, 45, were questioned by the court Monday. … A penal police official at the Interior Ministry, who spoke on the condition of anonymity since he was not permitted to speak with the press, identified the two men as Mr. Romny, the chairman of the ACICA Group of Companies, and his business partner, Mr. Chin who were arrested on Saturday in Phnom Penh. Police received a complaint accusing Mr. Romny and Mr. Chin of defrauding an unnamed victim of $810,000 using forged documents in a deal worth about $6 million to sell a mining license in Mondolkiri province, he said. … The ACICA Group’s website claims that as well as mining interests, the company has numerous approved projects in Cambodia and an arm incorporated in the British Virgin Islands through Hong Kong. Projects listed on the website—which claims that Mr. Hun Sen has signed off on all projects—include a “Water and Wastewater Privatization Concession for 70 years on BOO/BOT [build, operate, own/build, operate, transfer] for 18 Provinces in Cambodia,” a 37,570 hectare palm plantation in Koh Kong province and approval to conduct a study on a “hydro kinetic power plant project” on the Mekong River. …
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/court-questions-cambodian-chinese-businessmen-over-fraud-40923/
