Filipina journalist files sexual harassment complaint vs Cambodia news publisher
The Khmer Times publisher, Mohan Tirvgmanasam Banddam or T. Mohan, has denied the accusations
Janella Paris
Published 9:07 PM, December 13, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipina reporter, who quit the Phnom Penh-based Khmer Times after allegedly being sexually harassed by the newspaper’s publisher, has filed a complaint against her alleged harasser.

April Reposar filed the case against Khmer Times publisher Mohan Tirvgmanasam Banddam or T. Mohan on Thursday, December 5, before a Phnom Penh court, but gave Rappler a copy of the lawsuit on Friday, December 13, upon returing to the Philippines.

The Cambodian Judicial Police is now investigating Reposar's complaint.

Reposar said she started working for the paper in April 2019. The following month, the publisher allegedly told her that she would be placed in a nice apartment, in exchange for a “friends with benefits” setup.

In her complaint, Reposar said Mohan told her: "I will protect you. I will protect you from the people in the company. I can give you a very private, well-secured flat. Whenever I need you, you'll be there for me. If I need you to be with me, you'll be there for me."

Reposar said they have not received reactions from Mohan's camp, but that her alleged harasser had denied all her claims of sexual harassment before the case was filed.

In an article by Phnom Penh-based VOD News in June, after Reposar quit Khmer Times, Mohan denied the allegations, saying the WhatsApp messages Reposar revealed of the encounter were “heavily redacted and distorted” and that the things he was accused of "never happened."

Mohan also alleged that it was Reposar who suggested becoming his partner. He, however, said he deleted the messages that would prove this out of “shame.”

“The [Khmer Times] Admin Manager was informed of the indecent proposal from her, the proposal was not from me but from her…. There were text messages on this and some of [sic] from her was explicit and I deleted all of it as it was shameful,” Mohan said, as quoted by VOD.

"Courage is all I got at this point. This isn't just about me, this is for all the victims of sexual harassment. I want them to know that we have a voice, that there's nothing wrong in speaking up," Reposar told Rappler in an e-mail. She also earlier claimed that many Filipinos also resigned from the paper due to sexual harassment. – Rappler.com

UPDATE
Sexual Harassment Trial Held Against Khmer Times Publisher
2 min read
Ouch Sony
| Tue May 17, 2022 1:54 pm

A sexual harassment trial against the publisher of the Khmer Times newspaper was held in absentia at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday morning after neither defendant T. Mohan nor a defense lawyer appeared for the hearing.

The case relates to allegations raised in 2019 by former reporter April Reposar, who previously said that she had resigned from the newspaper and returned to her home country to get away from repeat propositions of money for sex. Mohan denied the allegations at the time.

Judge Koy Sao on Tuesday morning read out the case file, beginning with an alleged incident on May 9, 2019 when Reposar and Mohan attended an event hosted by the E.U. at the Raffles Le Royal hotel in Phnom Penh. There, Mohan allegedly offered an apartment to Reposar and said, “You stay there for me if I need you.” The complaint said that the two continued to chat through WhatApp with Mohan asking about sex.

A statement from Reposar’s lawyer that was read out in court said there was abuse of power and sexual harassment, and the plaintiff sought $100,000 in compensation.

Sexual harassment is defined in the Criminal Code as abusing one’s authority over another person to repeatedly apply pressure for sexual favors. It is punishable by six days to three months in prison.

Speaking at the trial, the plaintiff’s lawyer Ham Phea elaborated that Mohan had tried to persuade Reposar into having sex, and because of the pressure, fear and concern for her safety, she resigned from work.

Prosecutor Sok Keobandith did not give an argument during the trial.

Outside court, Phea said he was not sure why neither Mohan nor defense lawyer showed up, but the trial would be considered as having been conducted in absentia, and the accused would be able to contest the verdict.

Mohan has not yet responded to questions emailed on Tuesday morning, but previously denied Reposar’s allegations, saying that chat logs supplied by her were “heavily redacted and distorted,” she had borrowed hundreds of dollars from him, and Reposar was the one to suggest becoming his “partner.”

Judge Sao is scheduled to announce a verdict on May 23.
https://vodenglish.news/sexual-harassme ... publisher/