The Ministry of Interior Plans to Sue Chea Mony of Providing False Testimony to the Court – Friday, 21.8.2009

Photo by: Tracey Shelton (The Phnom Penh Post)
Chea Mony sorts through photos of his brother Chea Vichea’s murder at his home in Phnom Penh on Thursday

Posted on 22 August 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 626
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia plans to sue the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, for presenting an untrue testimony to the court.

“The spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Khieu Sopheak, told Kampuchea Thmey by phone in the afternoon of 20 August 2009 that the Ministry of Interior reserves all rights to sue the president of the Cambodia Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, for providing an unreal testimony and for using a court hearing he attended on 17 August 2009 to announce unreal information, leading to misunderstandings.

“Mr. Khieu Sopheak said, ‘First, we consider that it is the provision of untrue testimony, and second, it is the use of a court hearing to announce unreal information to the audience at the hearing, and to national and international journalists. Therefore, the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia reserves its right to prepare a lawsuit to be sent to the court, based on Mr. Chea Mony’s actions.

“However, Mr. Khieu Sopheak has not yet specified the date when a lawsuit against the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, will be sent to the court.

“On 20 August 2009, Kampuchea Thmey could not ask for a comment from the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, who is the younger brother of Mr. Chea Mony, who was gunned down in 2004, as no one picked up the phone.

“It should be remembered that on 17 August 2009, the Appeals Court opened a hearing on the murder of the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Vichea, who was murdered near the Wat Langka in 2004, and during the hearing, Mr. Chea Mony participated as a plaintiff. At that time, he said publicly that he thinks the government was behind the murder of his older brother.

“His words received a strong reaction from the hearing judge and prosecutors, and they even noted down the words he said during the hearing.

“It should be noted that after the murder of the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Vichea, two men [Boun Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun] were arrested on the accusation that they were involved in the murder, but recently, the Appeals Court had decided to release them on bail, saying that there was insufficient evidence to put the burden on them; and on 17 August 2009, the Appeals Court decided to provide them with the further freedom and to reinvestigate the case.

“After the Appeals Court had ordered Mr. Chea Vichea’s case to be reinvestigated, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Cambodia and the International Labor Organization (ILO) released a statement of welcome for the decision decision to reinvestigate that murder case.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2028, 21.8.2009
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Friday, 21 August 2009