4 years jail, fine for ex-police deputy chief for occupying protected land


Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  

Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a former brigadier general and Kampong Chhnang provincial deputy police chief, to four years in jail for allegedly occupying restricted parts of more than 200 hectare of flooded forest land in Zone 3 of Tonle Sap Lake areas in Kampong Leng district between 2011 and 2021. 

The court also slapped a fine of $12,500 on the accused who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit on December 16, 2021.   

Judge Le Sokha said that the 52-year-old accused Sum Socheat, also known as Ngoy, hailing from Kampong Chhnang city, stood trial at the Municipal Court on July 26, and his verdict was handed down on Thursday (August 4).

The court has also decided to confiscate a total of $509,998, the money obtained from the sale of allegedly grabbed lands. 



“The accused has the right to appeal the judgment to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court within the period of a month (30 days) if he did not agree with it,” Judge Sokha added.

However, his defense lawyer Chan Socheat said that his client did not cut down trees in the protected area and he bought those cleared land from other farmers. 

“I think that my client’s sentence given by the court is high because he had already returned the lands occupied to the state after his arrest,” Socheat added. 

“But until now, I am not sure if he is appealing it to the Court of Appeal or not because I have not met him yet,” he said, adding that “I will go to meet him at the prison and consult with him about the possibility of his appeal.” 

However, Sum Socheat could not be reached for a comment over his sentence. 

He was charged with four counts on ‘destruction and embezzlement’ under Article 608 of the Criminal Code; with ‘land grabbing’ under Article 98 of the Law on Fisheries; with ‘not declaring assets and liabilities’ under Articles 32 and 38 of Law on Anti-Corruption, and with ‘money laundering’ under Article 38 of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Financing.   

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