UPDATE

Verdicts, sentences upheld in Adhoc ‘witness bribery’ case
Kim Sarom | Publication date 23 May 2022 | 21:44 ICT

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Appeal on May 23 delivered a ruling in the cases of four ADHOC officials and one former official of the local rights group, upholding the lower court’s guilty verdict in all of their cases.

The five rights defenders were sentenced to five-year prison terms on charges of bribing a witness in the trial of Kem Sokha – former president of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

The charges stemmed from claims that Sokha was having an extra-marital affair with a 24-year-old hairdresser named Khom Chandaraty, who later turned witness against him. Prosecutors claimed that the five bribed her in order to induce her to deny her previous statements and testimony concerning her relationship with Sokha.

The defendants were not present for the hearing and the court’s ruling was delivered in-absentia.

Appeal Court Judge Visal read out the ruling in the presence of the defence lawyers representing Lim Mony, Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha and Yi Soksan, while Sam Sokong – the lawyer for Ny Chakrya – was absent for reasons that weren’t made clear during the proceedings.

Judge Visal’s ruling stated that according to the facts and statements presented to the court on April 28, 2022, the five accused testified that the $204 ADHOC gave to Chandaraty was for help with her food expenses only and not indicative of a quid pro quo agreement, and thus they did not bribe the witness as charged by the court.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... ibery-case

Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): On the morning of 18 November 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict against 5 male and female prisoners who are officials and former senior members of the Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Development in Cambodia (ADHOC). Each were sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 on charges of bribing a witness - Khom Chandarathy alias Srey Mom, the alleged ex-mistress of former CNRP President Kem Sokha. They were charged with: bribing a witness and conspiracy to bribe a witness under Articles 29 and 548 of the Penal Code.


Mr. Nil Nonn, Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, stated that the five prisoners were: 1. 51 years old Ny Sokha, , and 53 years old Yi Soksan, , 3-58 years old, Lim Mony, 4-Nai Vongda, , 5. 46 years old Ny Chakrya.
They were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on 27 April 2016 and remanded in custody from 1 May 2016 until 29 June 2017.The ADHOC officials appealed, but the Court of Appeal upheld their sentence. They then appealled to the Supreme Court.

The five prisoners were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 26 September 2018 to 5 years imprisonment each, but served only 14 months in prison each, while remaining sentences were suspended.

It should be noted that the above five prisoners have now been released from prison (out of custody), after completing their sentences.

Nearly 140 groups condemn ruling against 'ADHOC 5,' demand judicial reforms
Cambodian civil society groups express outrage after top court rejects appeal for 5 human rights activists
By RFA Khmer
2022.11.23
AFP
Nearly 140 civil society organizations on Wednesday condemned a decision by Cambodia’s Supreme Court to uphold a five-year jail term for five current and former workers for ADHOC, the country’s oldest human rights group, on bribery charges, calling it politically motivated and an example of the judiciary’s lack of independence.

The organizations called the Nov.18 decision to uphold the five-year sentences against the so-called ADHOC 5 “unjust” and a reflection of how the ruling Cambodian People’s Party uses the judicial system to persecute rights defenders. 

The court provided no reason for its decision against Ny Sokha, Lim Mony, and Yi Soksan, and former officials Nay Vanda and Ny Chakra, who is also the secretary of the National Election Committee.

The government should be encouraging rights campaigners instead of targeting them for the work they do, said Soeung Sen Karuna, an ACHOC spokesman.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambod ... 73538.html