Kampot Land Swindle: Top officials "sold the wind".

[CEOCambodiaNews]

April 13, 2018
Top officials on trial over forgery
A former military official with Prime Minister HE’s bodyguard unit and a former commune official in Kampot province were yesterday tried by Phnom Penh Municipal Court for trying to forge public documents and cheat a property businesswoman in 2013 during a $800,000 land deal.

Presiding Judge Koy Sao identified the two accused as Sun Seang, 48, a former military official with Mr HE’s bodyguard unit and Heng San, 45, a former commune official in Kampot province.

Judge Sao said both men were charged with forgery of public documents, use of forged public documents, and fraud, adding that they face two to five years in prison if convicted.

They were arrested on January 12 in Phnom Penh after being sued by Nop Mao, 46, a property businesswoman, the judge noted.

Ms Mao said that in 2013, she contacted and purchased a total of 8,500 hectares of land in Kampot’s Chhouk district from the two accused, who were land brokers and were also high-ranking offcials.

She said that to buy the land, she paid a booking fee of $50,000 to them. After that she paid another $750,000.

“But after they received the money, they did not have any land for me. They forged villagers’ thumbprints on fake land documents and sold the wind to me,” she said.

Ms Mao said that since they had no land for her, she wanted her money back. The money has not yet been returned, she said, adding that she also wants $3 million in compensation.

During yesterday’s trial, the two accused denied the allegations.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50302562/t ... r-forgery/