Australian James Ricketson convicted of defaming APLE.
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:48 pm
Australian Blogger Convicted of Defaming Anti-Pedophile NGO
by Colin Meyn | February 9, 2017
An Australian blogger was found guilty of defaming an anti-pedophile group over accusations that it had manipulated witnesses, paid bribes to influence the courts and knowingly put innocent men behind bars, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.
James Ricketson, 67, a documentary filmmaker and prolific blogger who has taken on a number of child protection groups for alleged corruption, said he was not aware of the case until he was emailed a statement about the verdict released by Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), the group that sued him.
In its statement, APLE said the Phnom Penh Municipal Court held a trial on December 5 and found Mr. Ricketson guilty of defamation 10 days later, fining him 5 million riel, or about $1,250, and ordering him to pay 10 million riel, or about $2,500, in compensation.
“In many of his blog posts between 2014 and 2015, Ricketson repeatedly wrote to accuse APLE Cambodia of putting innocent men behind bars in order to raise funds with the impressive arrest and conviction rate; buying judges to deliver the verdicts in any direction APLE wants; being a corrupt NGO with no respect for Cambodian law or for the legal and human rights of innocent men; and manipulating witnesses and the courts to secure the outcome APLE desires,” the statement says.
The group’s director, Samleang Seila, is quoted as saying that he is “delighted to have our names and reputation cleared by the justice decision,”
...
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/aust ... go-124822/
by Colin Meyn | February 9, 2017
An Australian blogger was found guilty of defaming an anti-pedophile group over accusations that it had manipulated witnesses, paid bribes to influence the courts and knowingly put innocent men behind bars, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.
James Ricketson, 67, a documentary filmmaker and prolific blogger who has taken on a number of child protection groups for alleged corruption, said he was not aware of the case until he was emailed a statement about the verdict released by Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), the group that sued him.
In its statement, APLE said the Phnom Penh Municipal Court held a trial on December 5 and found Mr. Ricketson guilty of defamation 10 days later, fining him 5 million riel, or about $1,250, and ordering him to pay 10 million riel, or about $2,500, in compensation.
“In many of his blog posts between 2014 and 2015, Ricketson repeatedly wrote to accuse APLE Cambodia of putting innocent men behind bars in order to raise funds with the impressive arrest and conviction rate; buying judges to deliver the verdicts in any direction APLE wants; being a corrupt NGO with no respect for Cambodian law or for the legal and human rights of innocent men; and manipulating witnesses and the courts to secure the outcome APLE desires,” the statement says.
The group’s director, Samleang Seila, is quoted as saying that he is “delighted to have our names and reputation cleared by the justice decision,”
...
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/aust ... go-124822/
