There's a video with the Alaskan man and apparently there's no hesitation to name the Cambodian party involved:

Cambodia News, (Kampot): According to social media, an account named Peng Vannak News posted that :
" on January 08, 2020, an American man, GEORGE ALLEN O'BRIEN, who held an American passport, asked me for advice about a Kampot authority, named as Ouk Panha, who he trusted to buy the land on his behalf. Because the foreign man was unable to buy land in Cambodia, he asked Ouk Panha to be the Khmer representative for the property ownership. But, now, Ouk Panha, says that all the land belongs to him.

After checking all the documents, tomorrow I will take him to file the complaint at Kampot court to ask for justice for him. "

offroadscholar wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2020 12:34 pm

pczz wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2020 1:33 am i don't get this. Does the guy have no evidence and no witness and no documents to show he gave the agent any money? if he has then there are "breach of trust" laws in Cambodia and a verbal contract in front of witnesses is all thats needed because many khmer cannot read and write. Any land transaction should eb done via the village chief who provides the temporary land transfer documents until title comes through

In the vid posted live today it seems the guy has bank statements to show the money trail.
Not sure what else he's got in writing as most of the vid was in khmer.
He did mention he's already been through the courts and got nowhere.
Its tricky because its illegal in the first place under the constitution for a foreigner to buy land.
So now they resort to a social media campaign.....

My understanding is breach of trust is a criminal offence, not a civil one. the content of the contract is irrelevant, just the fact it was not carried out. I have seen reports of similar cases involving khmer where someoneoffered to get someone a governemnt job for a fee, which is also illegal, so i would defo consider a complaint to the police and see if they can negotiate a settlement with a 3 way split

The hard facts are that they guy tried to do an illegal thing - to circumvent a ban on foreigners to buy a land.

Now his cheat had not worked out, as he was cheated himself.

There is no legal recourse for upholding rights that are in essence illegal.

By making an opposite case - trying to approach police etc., on the ground that he arranged a scheme to circumvent the legal ban, and he wants now to enforce the scheme, his lawyers, advisers and himself, are looking, put it mildly, as fools. Fortunately, to my knowledge, there is no criminal liability for him to trying to cheat the land ownership rules.

He instead should better focus on that what can be possible rescued, namely, to look into circumstances of wiring money to Ouk Panha, and whether there is a claim of unjustified enrichment possible, i.e. when money are sent without any legal arrangement, or if there was a contract for moving money, what does it stipulates, and whether this contract is valid at all, as it is a part of the scheme - invalidating a contract would possibly turn a money movement into an unjustified enrichment claim and would provide a path of possible recovery of funds.

This could open a whole can of worms for KoW if it is ruled in the plaintiff's favor.

The social media coverage has brought the case to the attention of an official in Kampot, who has said he will investigate.

i cannot feel sorry for anyone who gives there money to a khmer,might as well burn it.

PIEMAN wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2020 3:06 pm i cannot feel sorry for anyone who gives there money to a khmer,might as well burn it.

That's a very weird thing to say, considering that that you were deported or left the KOW under strange circumstances.
I'm not judging and dont care btw. BUT this reveals true motives I think: quote:

i cannot feel sorry for anyone who gives there money to a khmer,might as well burn it.

Im sad for you frankly, have a nice life in Vietnam.