Testimony halted over document row at KRT

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

Written by Cheang Sokha and Georgia Wilkins
Thursday, 21 May 2009

TESTIMONY at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav ground to a halt Wednesday as the defence and prosecution argued over the admissibility of documents submitted by genocide expert Craig Etcheson, who was on the stand as a witness.

Francois Roux, the international lawyer for Kaing Guek Eav, the former head of Tuol Sleng prison who is better known as Duch, rejected the additional documents as "a waste of [the court's] time".

"This, I say again, is completely useless in a civil law context," he said.

As a result of the disagreement, Etcheson was unable to continue his testimony as judges listened to arguments from the two sides.

The defence's objection was overruled, with judges saying the documents were already in the case file.

Support for Sean Visoth
At a press conference during a break in proceedings, court officials told reporters that the director of administration, Sean Visoth, was still at his post despite a six-month absence from the court amid a graft scandal.

Tony Kranh, the acting director of administration, refused to say why Sean Visoth was absent, or when he would be back.

"We don't have to talk about personal matters. Every staff member here has the right to go on leave," he said.

The official was removed from the court's payroll after his sick leave of three months rolled over, spokesman Reach Sambath said, but Sean Visoth was still in charge of administration. "You can call him what you want in the paper, but he is still the director," he said.