Villagers in Land Disputes With Firm Don’t Show for Questioning

4 October 2012
The Cambodia Daily
Agricultural production / Agriculture and fishing / Economic land concessions and plantations / Economy and commerce / Energy / Energy policy and administration / Generation and distribution facilities / Judiciary and courts / Land / Land tenure and land titling / Public land lease
Chea Kheng / ELCs / Farmland / Government officials / justice system / KDC Development comapny / Kompong Chhnang Provincial Court / l / land / land disputes / Minister of Industry Suy Sem / Real estate developers

Villagers accused of incitement in a long-running land dispute with a company owned by the wife of a government minister did not show up for scheduled questioning yesterday at the Kompong Chhnang Provincial Court, officials said. On September 17, KDC Development company, owned by Chea Kheng, the wife of Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem, filed a criminal complaint against four villagers in Kompong Tralach district for inciting fellow villagers to illegally farm land claimed by the company. The four accused … submitted a letter to provincial prosecutor Penh Vibol on Tuesday requesting that questioning be delayed until the provincial court has addressed civil complaints filed by 51 of the affected families in the past three weeks. Mr. Vibol, however, denied the villagers’ request for a postponement and would move forward with criminal proceedings despite the failure of villagers to appear for questioning yesterday. …