Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Phnom Penh Post
Former armed forces commander-in-chief denies incarceration by military police, blames media for publishing inaccurate reports.
FORMER army chief General Ke Kim Yan (pictured) has slammed local media outlets for reporting his arrest by military police, dismissing the rumours and accusing them of "incitement" and attempting to "stir up trouble" politically.
On Monday, the Khmer Nation quoted an anonymous senior government official as confirming that Ke Kim Yan had been arrested and detained at Military Police Headquarters on Sunday, nearly a month after he was unceremoniously removed from his post as commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
In good health
When contacted by the Post Tuesday, however, Ke Kim Yan said he was "in good health" and criticised local news outlets for announcing that he had been arrested and summoned to court along with General Chhin Chanpor, another casualty of last month's military reshuffle.
"Journalists just write stories to incite and to stir up problems," he said. "Who has spread this information?"
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, confirmed that Ke Kim Yan's supposed arrest was no more than a "rumour", accusing the media of reproducing hearsay without official confirmation.
"They are making this up. We have verified nothing," he said. "The press should stop hearing one thing and then passing it on. It is not good for [their] professionalism."
RCAF Commander-in-Chief Pol Saroeun said Tuesday that he had not read reports of his predecessor's arrest and could not comment.
Ke Kim Yan was removed from his post on January 22 in a wide-ranging military shake-up that saw the elevation of General Pol Saroeun to the head of the military and the appointment of seven new deputy commanders-in-chief.
Rumours of Ke Kim Yan's arrest come amid separate reports authorities are preparing to investigate thousands of hectares of land allegedly owned by the general in Stung Treng province.
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