Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Renakse manager a no-show at hearings

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara and Robbie Corey-Boulet
Wednesday, 18 February 2009

THE former manager of the Hotel Renakse made good on her vow to skip two Phnom Penh Municipal Court hearings Tuesday pertaining to the fate of the hotel, both of which went ahead as scheduled.

One hearing was part of Kem Chantha's case to save the hotel from demolition, which she filed shortly after police and officials, wielding a court order stating that the French colonial-era building had fallen into an unacceptable state of disrepair, evicted guests and staff on January 6 and barred Kem Chantha herself from the premises.

The other was part of the ruling Cambodian People's Party lawsuit claiming that her 49-year lease on the hotel should be voided because she failed to maintain it.

Khiev Sepphan, the CPP lawyer handling the dispute, said he presented evidence at both hearings.

Kem Chantha has repeatedly said she does not believe the court can resolve the dispute fairly because the company director of Alexson Inc, which purchased the hotel for US$3.8 million, is married to the nephew of Ke Sakhorn, the court's deputy director who issued the January 6 order.

She said she plans to ask officials to form an "independent committee" to evaluate the safety of the hotel.

"If they find it is in poor condition and want to break it down, I would like to ask permission from the government to construct a new building," she said. "But if it is not damaged, then they should give control of it back to me."

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