How to not buy land in Cambodia.
Deputy Governor Accused of Theft

The deputy governor of Kampong Speu province was tried in absentia yesterday at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on allegations that he stole $2.5 million from a Malaysian company that was trying to buy land in the province in 2013.

Judge Leang Samnath said 41-year-old Sar Soputtra, who in addition to serving as deputy governor worked as undersecretary of state at the Labor Ministry, was charged with “breach of trust” under articles 377 and 378 of the Penal Code.

He said Mr. Soputtra was not arrested and allowed to miss the court date, but did not say why. The judge claimed that despite his freedom, he was “under court supervision.”
He was sued by the owner of Malaysia-based Maruhan Investment Company, which was represented in court by lawyer Mao Samvutheavy.


The company agreed to buy a plot of land for $9 million from M.C Asia Sogo and gave the company an initial $2.5 million on December 12, 2013. But in 2014, the owner of the Malaysian company asked Mr. Soputtra to provide him with land purchase documents, which he was not able to produce.

Mr. Soputtra could not be reached for comment and was not at the court to make a statement. But his defense lawyer, Sri Kimyou, denied the allegations and said he never received any money from the company.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27915/ ... -of-theft/

hanno wrote:There is a reason folks pay huge sums of money to become governors (scuttlebutt has it the Siem Reap governor forked out 3 Million): the investment is rapidly returned.

P.S.: might want to change the title, no self-respecting governor would steal $ 2.5.

Yeah, could be defamation.