Candlelight Party Official arrested, charged for forgery
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court arrested and charged yesterday a local
official of the Candlelight Party (CP) accused of allegedly copying three
fingerprints and signatures to register the names as commune reserved
candidates of the CP in Daun Penh district.
The accused, Khem Chanvannak, 45, the Acting Chief Representative
and Executive Chief of the Candlelight Party for Porsenchey district, was charged
on two counts of “forgery of public document and the use of forged public
document” under Articles 627, 628 and 629 of the Criminal Code.
If convicted, he faces between five to ten years in prison.
Colonel Sam Vicheka, the Spokesman at the Phnom Penh Municipal
Police, told Khmer Times yesterday that the court deputy prosecutor
issued the arrest warrant for Chanvannak who was arrested on January 15.
Chanvannak is being sued by three former CP officials who claim
that their fingerprints and signatures were copied and used to register their
names as reserved candidates for councillors of Phsar Thmey III commune without their
knowledge on November 7, 2023.
“He was arrested after police experts examined the fingerprints
and signatures and found that they were copied by Khem Chanvannak,” Col Sam
Vicheka said.
“After his arrest, police sent him to the Phnom Penh Municipal
Court on Tuesday for questioning,” he said.
Col Sam Vicheka denied that the Chanvannak’s arrest
was politically motivated.
“I would like to emphasise that the arrest of Khem Chanvannak was
according to the law and there were no other reasons related to threats or
persecution by political activists,” he said.
“The police refute the accusations by the Candlelight Party that
police acted without due cause on January 15,”he added.
The CP on Monday issued a statement condemning Phnom Penh authorities
and alleged that the arrest of Khem Chanvannak was an attempt at intimidation and
to demoralise the Cambodian people so they would not participate in any political
activities with the CP and to manipulate the political environment before the
Senate Election and the capital, provincial, municipal and district council
elections this year.
CP called on authorities to unconditionally release Khem
Chanvannak and to stop arresting and threatening the leadership, members and
other activists of the CP to guarantee a better political environment for the
upcoming Senate Election and elections for the capital, provincial, municipal
and district councillors.
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