REAKSMEY KONGKEA

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on August 30, 2023 charged 13 people comprising seven Cambodian-Americans, a Chinese-American, a Chinese national, a Taiwanese national, a Saudi Arabian and two Cambodians for offences that include drugs and money laundering. They are said to be members of a syndicate with its mastermind operating from his prison cell. The seven Cambodian-Americans were named Phev Braseth Seth, 41; In Chanthy, 35; Savy Savuth, 40; Som David, 33; Rem Sophal, 35; and Frost Sarath Sean, 39; Sim Soeun 46; while the Saudi Arabian is Alshammari Sarah Hamadn, 41. The Taiwanese is Chen Yuen Sheng, 43; and the two Cambodians are Prak Chamroeun, 37, and   Khan Sokha, 29.   The Chinese national is Chen Hsin Han, 52, and Prak Chamroeun, 37, is the Chinese-American.   Chen, a convicted drug trafficker and serving time in the Siem Reap prison was recently freed by a group of armed men while he was seeking dental treatment in a priv...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Incoming National Police Chief General Sar Thet has announced a plan to eliminate the notorious roster of ‘ghost officers’ and stop the ‘misappropriation of appointments’ nationwide to improve the quality and integrity of police work. On Tuesday in Phnom Penh Gen Thet addressed officers at the appointment ceremony for incoming Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief Major Chuon Narin.  Gen Thet said that the national police will cut the number of senior police officers eligible for promotion to deputy chief appointments in each municipality or provincial commissariat. The freeze on promotions is due to the large numbers of senior officers already working across the nation.   He cited an example of police employment figures. Between 200 and 500 officers currently work at police institutions in a typical municipality or district. All these officers are paid salaries by the government.   However, the actual number of officers who come to work...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea King Norodom Sihamoni appointed on weekend five senior police officers to higher positions in the police force and government. Four-star General Seng Phally, President of the Police Academy of Cambodia, was appointed to General Director of the Human Resources Department in the Ministry of Interior; and four-star General Ek Monosen, Vice-President of the Police Academy of Cambodia, will become the new President of the Police Academy of Cambodia. The King also appointed Lieutenant General Hor Sam Ath from Deputy Director of the Digital Technologies and Education Department in the Ministry of Interior to General Director of the Digital Technologies and Education Department; Lieutenant General Sok Veasna from Deputy Director of the  General Department of Immigration to General Director of the General Department of Immigration; and Lieutenant General Top Neth from Deputy Director of General Department of Identifications to General Director of the Gene...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday heard the appeal of a 61-year-old woman convicted of fraud involving a $500,000 land deal in Kampot province between 2018 and 2019. Chin Kea, a farmer, was found guilty and jailed for five years by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on May 30, 2020. Kea was jointly charged with Mey Sreyphal, 53, a former police colonel officer working with the Ministry of Interior, who was also convicted by the court and remained at large. The court also ordered both of them to jointly pay $447,000 for damages and another $1,000 in compensation to victim Muth Sokkhim, 45. Presiding Judge Duch Soksarin said in 2018, Kea introduced Sokkhim to Sreyphal to discuss the sale of 297 hectares of lands in Trapaing Phlaing commune’s Prey Peay village for $297,000. In 2019, Sokkhim bought another 313 hectares of land located in the same commune for $150,000 from Sreyphal. “On September 8, 2019, Sreyphal and Kea handed 13 articles to Sokkh...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Appeal Court has deemed Yin Heng alias “Champei Khmao” as a rehabilitated person. The move will enable the 27-year-old, who was convicted in 2019 on incitement charges and jailed two years, to reintegrate with society as a normal person and his criminal record erased.   Presiding Judge Suos Sam Ath said yesterday that Heng had not committed any crime after his released from prison on Feb 6, 2020.     “Yin Heng has stated to the court that he would resolve to become a new person, a good citizen, and that he will continue to study the law in order to become a lawyer or legal expert. “The Phnom Penh Appeal Court's Criminal Chamber believes that Yin Heng or Champei Khmao has the necessary credentials and education to be awarded rehabilitation,” Judge Sam Arth said. “Therefore, the Criminal Chamber of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court  grants Yin Heng rehabilitation as requested,” he said.   When met outside of c...

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Major General Chuon Narin took charge as the Police Chief of Phnom Penh in a ceremony held at Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters in Russei Keo district on August 29, 2023.    Maj Gen Narin was appointed as a replacement for the four-star General Sar Theth who was promoted by the King as the Chief of National Police of Cambodia. General Theth presided over the appointment ceremony of Maj Gen Narin which saw the participation of more than 500 police and military police officials at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters yesterday. Previously, Maj Gen Narin was the chief of Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police, and Major General Sar Ratha, the youngest son of the former interior minister Sar Kheng, replaced him as the new chief of Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police. Addressing the ceremony, Gen. Thet urged Maj Gen Narin to maintain law and order in Phnom Penh, the national capital and economic centre where all the top national leaders as w...

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea In a major development, the Cambodian police have rearrested a Chinese drug kingpin who managed to escape from a dental clinic with the help of a group of armed criminals in Siem Reap.   The police of the Anti-Drug Police Department at the Ministry of Interior nabbed the Chinese convict and two others on Tuesday taking the total number of arrests made in this case so far to 11. Four others involved in the ambush are still on the run. General Mak Chito, Deputy Chief of the National Police in Charge of the Chief of Anti-Drug Affairs, confirmed the arrest of the Chinese drug kingpin at a press conference held yesterday. All the arrested suspects and the Chinese convict were sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning and further proceedings. Gen. Chito added that they are a well-organised criminal group from the United States, and Hsin Han, an international drug trafficker, is the ringleader. He said that the 11 suspects included seven Cambodia...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  Phnom Penh:  His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia, issued a Royal Decree on August 22, 2023  appointing Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister,  as president of the Supreme Privy Council to the King. The King also issued other Royal Decrees appointing Samdech Heng Samrin, the former President of National Assembly, as the honorary president of the Supreme Privy Council to the King;  Samdech Sar Kheng, former Minister of Interior; Samdech Tea Banh, the Former Minister of National Defense;  and Men Sam An, former Minister of National Assembly Senate Relations and Inspection, as  personal advisors to the king..  

    Buth Reaksmey Kongkea His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, King of the Kingdom of Cambodia, on August 22, 2023, issued a Royal Decree appointing the Council of Ministers for the seventh term, with Lieutenant General   Hun Manet as Prime Minister. The Royal Decree appointing the new Council of Ministers came after the National Assembly voted unanimously to approve the composition of the Council of Ministers, prepared by  General Manet, the Eldest Son of Samdech Hun Sen.    

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea A deputy commander from the military’s border patrol was killed after stepping on an anti-personnel mine on Saturday while patrolling the Cambodian-Thai border in Oddar Meanchey province. The incident took place at about 6am on a ridge in the Dangrek Mountains in Ta Moan Sen Chey village in Kork Mon commune in the province’s Banteay Ampil district. Major Keo Saroeun, deputy commander of the 421 st  Platoon based in Kork Mon district named the victim as Chief Warrant Officer Muy Toeum, 32, Commander of Group I and Deputy Commander of the 421 st  Platoon. Maj Saroeun said that at the time of the accident, Toeum, went outside the military base to relieve himself in the forest. While Toeum was walking towards an area about 15 metres from the post he stepped on the “K59” Russian-made anti-personnel mine which was placed there during the civil war. The explosion blew off one of Toeum’s legs, blinded both eyes and damaged both his hands. The e...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  Seven suspects have been arrested for storming a dental clinic in Siem Reap to free a prisoner who was there for treatment but the prisoner, a Chinese national is still on the run. General Mak Chito, a National Police Deputy Chief said the seven suspects - six Cambodian-American citizens and a Chinese-American - were arrested by police in a raid on a hotel in Phnom Penh on Friday. Gen Chito named the seven suspects Phev Braseth Seth, In Chanthy, Savy Savuth, Som David, Rem Sophal, Frost Sarath Sean and the Chinese-American as Chloe Yinrong.  He added that the seven suspects would be sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning and legal action today.  Gen Chito said the hunt for the escaped convict and 10 other suspects continues. “They probably will attempt to flee the country,” he said. “This is the first case of foreigners involved in breaking out a prisoner,” Gen Chito said yesterday. “They are a well-organized cri...

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea A Taiwanese-suspected drug trafficker was arrested and on August 19, 2023 charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for allegedly possessing and trafficking nearly 8 kilograms of ketamine. According to a police’s report, the accused  was identified as Hsiao Chi Ming, 57 (born in 1966), the Taiwanese tourist. Hsiao Chi Ming was charged with “drug possession and drug trafficking” under Article 40 of Cambodia’s Law on Drugs Control. If convicted, the accused faces a life sentence.  He was arrested on August 15, 2023 in Phnom Penh’s Boeng Keng Kang district. Police seized a total of 7,944 grams (about 8 kilograms) of ketamine and a phone from him.  //END//                

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  A group of five masked gunmen stormed a clinic on August 17 morning in Siem Reap city, in an attempt to free a Chinese prisoner while he was receiving dental treatment. The event took place at about 8 am on Thursday at the Chum Chenda Clinic located in Ta Phoul village, Svay Dangkum commune, Siem Reap city. Siem Reap city police deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Mom Sarin told Khmer Times that at about 8 am on Thursday morning, four prison officers brought a Chinese prisoner, convicted for drug trafficking, for dental treatment at the clinic.   While the prisoner was being treated the four officers were stationed outside the treatment room, when a group of five masked gunmen stormed into the clinic, Lt Col Sarin said.  “During the raid, the five gunmen, who are Chinese nationals, pointed their weapons at the officers and handcuffed them,” Lt Col Sarin told Khmer Times .“After the handcuffing, they freed the prisoner and took him to a wa...