September 6, 2019
NGO fires director over misconduct
About a dozen former employees of Sovann Komar, a children’s rights NGO, held a protest on Tuesday after their director was sacked for allegedly endangering children.

Founder and executive director of Sovann Komar Arun Sothea was sacked from the NGO in August, along with Nou Savath, its former head of security guards, and about a dozen other staffers.

Mr Sothea yesterday said he did not attend the protest because he is preparing documents for a lawsuit.

“They accused me of making mistakes, doing corruption and embezzling the organisation’s money,” he said. “So, I think it’s strange that they’ve made such accusations because I was one of the founders of the organisation.”

“We send financial reports every month,” Mr Sothea added. “So if I’m wrong, the organisation should do an audit and review these reports to find the mistake so we can resolve it together. But, they didn’t do that – they’ve stopped me from working.”

Kara Heide, who serves on the board of Golden Children Inc, parent organisation of Sovann Komar, said in a press release on Wednesday that the dismissal of the employees was made based on evidence of misconduct.

Ms Heide said the Sovann Komar is preparing a criminal complaint against some of the former employees.

In her termination letter to Mr Sothea, she stated the reason for dismissal as follows: “Financial fraud, misuse of organisational funds, corruption, breach of trust, physical abuse, perpetuating an abusive environment, compromising the safety and well-being of children by being complicit when aware of physical and sexual abuse, negligence, dereliction of duties, nepotism and coercion.”
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50640913/n ... isconduct/

A sordid tale of abuse and cruelty:

September 12, 2019
NGO: sacked co-founder complicit in child torture and abuse

Children’s NGO Sovann Komar yesterday claimed it had uncovered compelling evidence that sacked co-founder and former executive director Arun Sothea was complicit in sexual abuse of children, and treated them cruelly, including by starving them.

Mr Sothea was terminated from his position as Executive Director of the NGO Sovann Komar LLC on 23 August, along with four members of top management and other staffers, including guards.

They were dismissed for allegedly committing financial fraud, misusing organisational funds, corruption, breach of trust, physical abuse, perpetuating an abusive environment, compromising the safety and well-being of children, negligence, dereliction of duties, nepotism and coercion.

In a press statement issued yesterday, Sovann Komar said that during his time with the NGO, Mr Sothea physically assaulted and gravely endangered children.

“In an extraordinary act of punishment, one of the children was starved for more than one week before Mr Sothea, who condoned the abuse and action of starvation, granted permission to concerned wardens at the village to provide the child with food,” the press statement said.

It alleged that Mr Sothea’s apparent girlfriend and staff members of the village had psychologically tortured a child, while he was held in an office at the premises for several days, by scaring him with ghost stories and malicious tricks.

The child fled the office and was left to wander outside with no appropriate shelter.

“This child had uncovered instances of Mr Sothea misusing funds and having a number of inappropriate sexual relationships with staff members in the village,” the statement said. “Mr Sothea then orchestrated a plan to show that the child suffers from a psychiatric disorder.”

The NGO said that it had also uncovered a case where two children were scalded with hot water, locked in a wardrobe and beaten by wardens at one of the 10 hostels in the village.

It added that a teenage girl was also sexually assaulted by a village staff member but Mr Sothea refused to take action.

“This evidence emerged during a review of operations at the children’s village commissioned by Golden Children Inc, the American charitable organisation that controls Sovann Komar LLC,” the statement noted.

It also said the top management of Sovann Komar LLC’s children’s village are also under investigation for creating and condoning a hostile environment where children were physically and sexually abused.
Full article: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50642393/n ... sex-abuse/

The NGO website for the SOVANN KOMAR OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION (SKOPE)


Former executive director Arun Sothea, now fired

WHAT WE DO
SKOPE is a community outreach project based in Sovann Komar Children's Village, just outside Phnom Penh. We are dedicated to providing educational tools throughout rural Cambodia. Our work includes drilling wells, providing desks, chairs, stationary, and classroom equipment, donating library books, building playgrounds, and improving school buildings.

The SKOPE website does not appear to have been updated recently.
The volunteer page offers remarks from 2017 volunteers:
https://www.skopecambodia.com/get-involved
The Programs section of the website tells of programs from 2016 and an undated latest one in Kampot.
https://www.skopecambodia.com/programs

The Golden Children website appears to be down. We are looking for more information on this company.

Golden Children Inc.
Phnom Penh - Cambodia

Phone 023 219 984
E-mail [email protected]
Address National Road No 1, Kdey Takoy Village, Sangkat Veal Sbov, Khan Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Golden Children New York NY, 10019 - Manta.com
[Search domain www.manta.com/c/mmscxlc/golden-children-inc] https://www.manta.com/c/mmscxlc/golden-children-inc
Golden Children Inc is a privately held company in New York, NY and is a Single Location business. Categorized under Organizations. Our records show it was established in 2006 and incorporated in New York. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of 73984 and employs a staff of approximately 2.

UPDATE
Cambodian orphanage: Ex-head stole US$1.4 million, molested children, inquiry finds
Sovann Komar, founded by American heiress Elizabeth Ross Johnson, found Sothea Arun committed ‘horrific child abuse and financial fraud’
Its investigation was done after Sothea – a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime – was sacked
Luke Hunt
Published: 9:44pm, 10 Aug, 2020

The former head of a high-profile Cambodian orphanage, founded by the heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, has been accused of molesting children in his care and stealing at least US$1.4 million.

In an August 8 media statement, the Sovann Komar home said its year-long inquiry had uncovered “widespread evidence of horrific child abuse and financial fraud” committed by Sothea Arun, its former executive director.

The inquiry, conducted by a legal team with power of attorney, was launched after Sothea was sacked last August.

“Sothea Arun lived an extravagant lifestyle paid for by stealing funds designated for orphaned and abandoned children,” it said. “While he lived like a lord, the children of Sovann Komar were neglected and abused both sexually and physically by Sothea Arun and his staff.”

Sothea was unavailable for comment, but he has previously denied any accusations.

During his time with the NGO, he built for himself a luxury villa that included a swimming pool and a karaoke room.

Sothea was on a salary of US$1,700 a month, but bank statements revealed his involvement in transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the inquiry found.

In one transaction, US$433,575 was transferred to his personal bank account at Canadia Bank, a Cambodia-based lender. The report also listed many suspect land deals in which Sothea was involved.

Elizabeth Ross John­son – the heiress of American health care giant Johnson & Johnson, who died three years ago – was an early supporter of his work. She founded Sovann Komar, which means “Golden Children”, in 2003.

He went on to establish his own projects – which included a school, a clinic and an orphanage – in his home of Phum Thom, some 16km southeast of Phnom Penh, while heading Sovann Komar in the capital.

In 2006 he found support for his work in Phum Thom from the United States-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Helping Hands non-profit.

Sovann Komar said the US Embassy in Phnom Penh had been made aware of the allegations, and the home was working with the authorities to bring Sothea to justice.

However, it added that he was still operating other unaffiliated orphanages, despite the evidence of serious crimes against children and recommendations from two prosecutors that he be held in pre-trial detention.

“It is clear that Mr Sothea Arun exploited his position as executive director to become a millionaire while Cambodian children suffered,” it said.

“In addition to fraud and misuse of organisational funds, Mr Sothea Arun engaged in corruption, nepotism and fraudulent land deals, including creating fake sellers and pocketing large commissions from land deals done on behalf of the NGO.”
https://www.scmp.com/print/week-asia/po ... e-stealing

Jesus.. Hopefully he gets property confiscated and does some serious time.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:56 pm Jesus.. Hopefully he gets property confiscated and does some serious time.

Accused Offender Sothea Arun Loses Appeal after Faking Information to Regain Control over Orphanage
27/11/20 17:46

Phnom Penh (FN), Nov. 26 – Accused sex offender and fraudster Mr. Sothea Arun continues his attempts to subvert justice by using questionable tactics in the courts of Cambodia to prevent his sentencing. His latest move failed when an Appeals Court judge rejected his attempt to question the authority of a Board Director of the parent entity of Sovann Komar and the NGO’s rightfully appointed legal representative, according to the press release seen by Fresh News on Thursday.

Read in full below.
=FRESH NEWS

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:49 pm

“It is clear that Mr Sothea Arun exploited his position as executive director to become a millionaire while Cambodian children suffered,” it said.

“In addition to fraud and misuse of organisational funds, Mr Sothea Arun engaged in corruption, nepotism and fraudulent land deals, including creating fake sellers and pocketing large commissions from land deals done on behalf of the NGO.”
https://www.scmp.com/print/week-asia/po ... e-stealing

He was only following the others who made millions from a meagre monthly salary and nepotism, dodgy deals and corruption.

Bottom line is that the little people lose again.

Arget wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:20 pm

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:49 pm

“It is clear that Mr Sothea Arun exploited his position as executive director to become a millionaire while Cambodian children suffered,” it said.

“In addition to fraud and misuse of organisational funds, Mr Sothea Arun engaged in corruption, nepotism and fraudulent land deals, including creating fake sellers and pocketing large commissions from land deals done on behalf of the NGO.”
https://www.scmp.com/print/week-asia/po ... e-stealing

He was only following the others who made millions from a meagre monthly salary and nepotism, dodgy deals and corruption.

Bottom line is that the little people lose again.

Not only dodgy deals and corruption. Children were abused.

In an August 8 media statement, the Sovann Komar home said its year-long inquiry had uncovered “widespread evidence of horrific child abuse and financial fraud” committed by Sothea Arun, its former executive director.

The inquiry, conducted by a legal team with power of attorney, was launched after Sothea was sacked last August.

“Sothea Arun lived an extravagant lifestyle paid for by stealing funds designated for orphaned and abandoned children,” it said. “While he lived like a lord, the children of Sovann Komar were neglected and abused both sexually and physically by Sothea Arun and his staff.”

Cambodia News, Phnom Penh: Mr. Sothea Arun, accused of raping minors and scamming a charity has ignored the summons to answer questioning by the police. After Sothea Arun was fired in August 2019, an internal investigation revealed evidence of torture, sexual abuse, and fraud committed at Sovann Komar (children's charity) under his administration.
The Anti-Human Trafficking and Protection of Minors Unit summoned Mr. Sothea Arun three times, but Mr. Sothea Arun ignored the summons. Since the accused has declined to comment, the unit sent the case to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. Nearly five months after filing a complaint with the Anti-Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit, the lawsuit is now being reviewed by Prosecutors at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court who will begin questioning the victims.

Mr. Sothea Arun is accused of repeatedly raping one of his adoptive victims since she was 8 years old. Another victim has also come forward with an accusation. Other criminal charges related to fraud and abuse have been filed against Sothea Arun since last year. However, Sothea Arun continues to live in a spacious villa with an expensive karaoke room and swimming pool, allegedly paid for with the money from the organization's budget.

The NGO Sovann Komar is currently under new management, where those children are provided with counseling with proper professionalism with careful protection toward those who were abused. The new management team has launched programs that focus on empowering young people, including vocational training and scholarship projects.