CATS put back in charge in Cambodia

Published: 13/01/2010

via CAAI News Media

Cambodia has returned management of its air traffic control service to the Thai joint-venture firm, Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS).

The Cambodian government took over CATS in November last year after Cambodia arrested a Thai employee of CATS, Sivarak Chutipong, on a spying charge.

Mr Sivarak accessed the flight schedule of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was visiting Cambodia as a VIP guest, and gave the information to a Thai diplomat.

After taking over air traffic control, Cambodia set up a temporary management team to run day-to-day operations of CATS. Thai employees were barred from entering their offices but not otherwise penalised.

Watchai Vilailuck, the president of CATS' parent firm Samart Corporation, expressed his appreciation for the move on Monday by the Cambodian government.

"The Kingdom of Cambodia is open and fair to foreign businesses and will win investors' confidence in the long term," he said.

Samart Corp won the build, operate and transfer concession in 2001 to run CATS for 32 years.

Samart was notified of the successful handover of CATS by Cambodia, he said.

During the transition period, CATS received excellent co-operation from the temporary management and company operations were uninterrupted, he said.

Mr Watchai praised the integrity and professionalism of the transition team and said CATS had incurred no losses. He also expressed thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister Sok An for their understanding and for expediting a return to normal operations.

The charge of spying that triggered Cambodia's assumption of control over CATS came during a dispute over Cambodia's relationship with former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

In 2008, a Thai court sentenced Thaksin in absentia to two years in prison for violating a conflict of interest law, but he fled into exile before the verdict. He had been ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.

In early November, Cambodia named Thaksin as a government economic adviser. The appointment, and Thaksin's subsequent visit, set off a diplomatic spat in which both countries recalled their ambassadors. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thaksin had been unfairly convicted for political reasons.

Mr Sivarak was convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail but was pardoned soon afterwards and allowed to leave for Thailand.