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Wednesday 17 November 2010

Cambodian rapist awaits decision


By JIMMY ELLINGHAM
Manawatu Standard
New Zealand
Last updated 19:18 17/11/2010

A New Zealand man serving 20 years in a Cambodian prison for raping five teenagers will soon find out if he's been convicted on disinformation and defamation charges.

Former Wellingtonian Graham Cleghorn (pictured) has claimed in media interviews he is not a rapist and he was set up by the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, who profited from increased publicity surrounding the case.

He's also said the centre bribed teenagers to testify against him.

On Monday night Cleghorn made a second appearance in Phnom Penh's Municipal Court to defend himself against the new charges.

Cambodian newspaper the Phnom Penh Post reported the centre's lawyer Mea Sophea was seeking for Cleghorn to pay $5000 compensation and issue an apology for spreading disinformation.

Judge Din Sivuthy has reserved his judgment until next week.

After the hearing, Cleghorn told the Manawatu Standard via text message he was trying to contact the New Zealand Embassy before the judge's ruling.

He claimed he had been denied consular assistance for Monday's hearing, which he claims he was only told about on Friday afternoon.

Cleghorn, 62, has been in Prey Sar Prison, just out of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, since 2004.

It is possible 10 years will be added to his sentence if he doesn't pay reparations to his victims.

A 2007 Cambodian Court of Appeal decision upheld Cleghorn's convictions for raping the teenagers who were in his employment in the northern city of Siem Reap, near the Angkor Wat temple.

He arrived in the Kingdom in the early 1990s.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said it would continue to assist Cleghorn as was required.

He had received a visit from British Embassy staff in Phnom Penh on November 4. New Zealand's closest embassy is in Bangkok, Thailand.

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