No review of KRT graft claims aired on CNN

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Georgia Wilkins
Monday, 04 May 2009

CORRUPTION allegations against the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal aired by the American news network CNN on Friday will not be investigated, a court official told the Post on Sunday.

"There is nothing in the report that is new, or that I haven't heard before," said public affairs chief Helen Jarvis. "There are no specific complaints that are identified or clear enough."

The report included interviews with two court staffers, their identities hidden, who claimed Sean Visoth, the court's chief administrator, took kickbacks totalling US$40,000 a month from staff salaries.

Jarvis said Sean Visoth is no longer on the court's payroll.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, told the Post on Sunday that the corruption allegations were not only unfounded, but were made with malicious intent.

"These are just accusations from people wanting to discredit the court and bring it down," he said. "We have had seven international audits of the court already and none has found solid evidence."

The kickback allegations were the subject of an earlier UN review, the results of which have yet to be made public, despite calls for their release from defence lawyers at the tribunal.

Phay Siphan rejected calls for another investigation, saying the UN "is not perfect. They are not God. They did not come from heaven".