Dozens sentenced in forest-clearing ring

Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced 28 people – including several government officials – to between two and five years in jail on charges of clearing state-protected flooded mangrove forest in Kampong Thom province in July of 2012. Presiding Judge Keo Mony said that Cheath Sivutha, 48, the former director of the provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, was sentenced to three years in jail, with one year suspended, and forced to pay a 10 million riel ($2,500) fine. Prim Ratha, former governor of Stoung district, was sentenced to three years in jail – though his sentence was suspended – and forced to pay five million riel ($1,250). … The rest of the defendants – villagers and officials, including a commune chief, a community leader and a district fisheries administration head – were convicted on charges including clearing land; allowing commercial fishing, both directly and indirectly; and encroaching on protected fish hatcheries in the flooded forest. …

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013011860868/National/dozens-sentenced-in-forest-clearing-ring.html