Cambodia Breaking News (Phnom Penh): On July 10, 2019, the economic police force from the Ministry of the Interior, coordinated by the prosecutor of Kampong Thom Court, raided a factory named Lim Sophorn, for producing fake soft drink, in Prey Ponlai, Stueng Sen city, Kampong Thom.

The owner of the factory who was identified as Lim Sophorn, a vice-chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear, made his escape when the forces of the law arrived, and the prosecutor ordered the police to search for him and take him for questioning.

The soft drink, which is produced without adhering to legal norms or hygiene standards, was distributed throughout the whole country. The police also found a chemical substance mixed in the soft drink.

Six things have been found to be abnormal and illegal at the factory:
1. The factory had no license on the package.
2. Fake address on the package
3. No beverage license
4. Using chemical substance
5. No information on imports and exports
6. Expired products.

The police took all the evidence to keep at the Kampong Thom police station.

Kampong Thom, Cambodia News: In a tit for tat, Mr Lim Phorn, the owner of the soft drink factory that was raided and closed by the authorities for health,hygiene and legal reasons, is now suing Major General Kao Wanchith, head of the Anti-Fraud Prevention Task Force, and the Ministry of the Interior for US$1M.

However, authorities cite the following problems with the soft drink factory:

1. No registration certificate for product listed on the packaging

2. False address on the drink packaging

3. There are no quality certificates

4. Use of several chemicals for producing orange and lemon juice

5. Imported goods have no proven source

6. Storage defects and out-dated deadlines

7. On a packaged shelf, unpacked water (CS).


In the meantime, the Lim Phorn drink factory has been temporarily closed, waiting for legal action, as people wait to see if Mr Lim Phorn, Deputy Director of the Kompong Thom Chamber of Commerce and a VIP in Kampong Thom business circles, has enough clout to resolve this problem with the authorities.