REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has sentenced a Laotian drug trafficker to life imprisonment after the 42-year-old was convicted of trafficking about 7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Presiding Judge Sin Sovannroath said Houa Choua was from Champasak province’s Moeung Khong district, Laos.     “The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has decided to sentence the accused Houa Choua to a life sentence and a fine of 100 million riels,” Judge Sovannroath said in his judgment yesterday.   He said that the accused was charged with “drug possessing, transport and trafficking” under Article 40 of Cambodian Law on Drugs Control and with “money Laundering” under Articles 38 of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Financing.   Judge Sovannroath stated that Houa Choua was arrested by police at a guesthouse in Por Senchey district’s Kakab commune on October 16, 2022, night.  Houa Choua was detained after he had transported the drugs by car from the...

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday promoted the Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army Lieutenant General Mao Sophan to a four-star-general. Gen Sophan took over reins of the RCA from Prime Minister Hun Manet in March this year.   The royal decree issued by King Sihamoni said the promotion was effective immediately.   On August 28, Gen Sophan said during a ceremony to install him as RCA chief, that the Armed forces is committed to fully support and actively participate with the government, in this 7 th mandate, in implementing measures, policies and programs within the framework of the “first Phase of the Pentagonal Strategy”. Defending Cambodia's territorial integrity, its Constitution, the monarch, and the legitimate government, he declared, was a top priority for the Cambodian Army.   Major General Mao Phalla, the Spokesman for the Royal Cambodian Army, applauded the promotion of Gen Sophan as a four-star general. “I am happy that ...

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on October 9, 2023 tried five Cambodians and a Chinese man accused of allegedly trafficking drugs from Phnom Penh to distribute to foreign users in Preah Sihanouk province between 2021 and this year. The five accused Cambodians are Yim Sokpov, 42, the owner of the taxi company “A7777”; Heng Tab, 32; Suon Sokha, 34; Yim Vichetr, male, 31. The three drivers were employed by Yim Sokpov and his female assistant Tith Chankiri, 35.  The Chinese national was identified as Lai Zhing Yu, 34, an employee of a Chinese-owned-casino in Preah Sihanouk province. According to the fact sheet read by Presiding Judge Theam Chanpiseth, the Cambodians are accused of drug trafficking. He said that between 2021 and February this year, the drivers allegedly transported Chinese nationals by car carrying drugs from Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk province. Sokpov established the taxi company “A7777” in 2021 and advertised his services on soc...

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea   The Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday heard the appeal of three men convicted of forging documents and cheating a Taiwanese woman of about $700,000 in a land deal involving more than 12 hectares of land in Kampong Speu province’s Baseth district in 2018.   Presiding Judge Sin Visal said the three men - Chen Ry, 40, Suong Sophal, 45, and Pov Sakhorn, 47, were land brokers in Kampong Speu province’s Baseth district. He named the Taiwanese victim as Zhang Chili, 49, the owner of a garment factory named Hong Long Su Co., Ltd in Baseth district.   According to Judge Visal, on May 30, 2018, the three men signed a contract for the purchase of more than 12 hectares of land in Srong commune, Baseth district, for $1.1 million to Zhang Chili.       He said that after signing the contract, Zhang Chili paid $660,000 to the men on June 7, 2018, to enable them to start buying land in Sron commune.  Zhang Chili paid another $11...