The Anti-Corruption Unit yesterday charged a Pursat provincial prosecutor who was arrested on Monday morning in the newly established body’s first high-profile case, officials said.

ACU spokesman Keo Remy said Top Chan Sereyvuth – who was arrested along with two personal bodyguards – was charged with corruption because he had abused his position of power.

“Two reasons made the Anti-Corruption Unit arrest this prosecutor; first, he did not respect and follow his position; and second, [he] is connected with corruption,” he said.

He said the ACU had been investigating the case for a “few months” after receiving complaints accusing the prosecutor of sending his personal bodyguards, rather than the police, to make arrests on his behalf, and then extorting money from prisoners in exchange for their release.

She said there were “hundreds of people clapping” in support of the charges, both at the court and the prison.

“[It is] unbelievable that there are so many people who are happy to see this prosecutor punished through the law,” she said.

Anticorruption Unit officials arrested Mr Chan Sereivuth, his brother-in-law Ros Samnang and his bodyguard Chhit Vuthy on Nov 29, marking the first major arrests made by the new graft-fighting body.

The three were charged the following day with corruption, illegal detention and extortion offenses and are still being detained at Pursat Provincial Prison. A fourth suspect, Mr Chan Sereivuth’s brother-in-law Pich Kong You, 34, remains at large.

ACU Chairman Om Yentieng has said that he expects more charges to be leveled against Mr Chan Sereivuth as further investigation is carried out into his behavior as a prosecutor in Pursat.

Three court cases previously handled by jailed former Pursat Provincial Court prosecutor Tob Chan Sereivuth will be reinvestigated, acting court prosecutor You Yinny said yesterday.

After a review of ten complaints that Mr Chan Sereivuth had failed to process during his tenure at Pursat Provincial Court, Mr Yinny said three had been identified as not being investigated properly.

“We reviewed the ten cases that [Mr Tob Chan Sereivuth] decided not to process, but we found that just three were not [handled] correctly,” Mr Yinny said, adding that the three cases all related to forestry crimes. “The court president will assign judges to reinvestigate [the cases].”

A lawyer for a provincial prosecutor awaiting trial on corruption charges said yesterday that he was preparing to file documents to request that his client be released on bail on the grounds of ill health.

“He is sick and he was sent to hospital immediately for help because he had high blood pressure,” he said. He said his client had been “saved in time” and was returned to prison on Monday evening.

“He has high blood pressure, diabetes and pain in his right leg,” she said, adding that Sunday’s emergency showed the extent of his illness.

“He is lucky to have been sent to the hospital in time,” Sun Sao said. “If he wasn’t, he could be dead.”

Biffsm wrote: ↑Sun May 30, 2021 5:16 am You can kill people, burn down cities, deal hard drugs, traffic in people in the US and never spend a night in jail.
This guy did his time.
He paid a big price.
I wish him good luck.