SRP “not surprised” by the government’s lawsuit against Sam Rainsy

28 Feb 2010
By Pen Bona
Source: Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy for KI-Media
Click here to read the article in Khmer

SRP officials claimed that the lawsuit by the government stemming from the publication of documents by opposition leader Sam Rainsy is not surprising even though the new accusations could carry quite severe sentences. Furthermore, the opposition leader does not seem to seek a lawyer to prepare documents for his defense in court either. Lawsuit against Sam Rainsy was sent to the Phnom Penh municipal court last Friday.

“It’s not surprising,” this is the general reaction from the majority of SRP officials when asked about the new lawsuit brought up by the government against Sam Rainsy last Friday. Chung Chou-ngy, Sam Rainsy’s defense lawyer, said that he was not contacted by Sam Rainsy or by the SRP for him to prepare the defense in this case.

The government lawyer brought two additional accusations against Sam Rainsy following the Svay Rieng provincial court sentencing him to two-year of jail time for “destruction of public properties” and “incitation to racial discrimination” for his involvement in the uprooting of border stakes in Svay Rieng province. The new lawsuit brought up by Ky Tech on Friday, accused Sam Rainsy of “publication of false information” and “falsification of public documents.” These two charges could carry a sentence of up to 15-year of jail time.

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