The former president of the Cambodian Association of South Australia is appealing against his jailing for stealing funds from the organisation.
Seng Chaing Kong, 49, was jailed recently for 20 months after pleading guilty to six counts of improperly using his position for benefit between 2008 and 2010.
Kong drew cheques worth $135,000 from the Cambodian Association's accounts and bought a fruit and vegetable business, then stole almost $24,000 more to meet loan repayments.
The sentencing court was told the association had financial problems at the time because it had lost its government funding.
It heard Kong's actions had a profound impact on the local Cambodian community because the association had given crucial support to refugees settling in Australia since the 1980s.
The court was told the association's credibility had suffered and it had lost the trust of the Cambodian community and funding agencies because of Kong's offending.
Kong repaid all the money but the magistrate said the breach of trust was too serious to consider suspending a jail sentence of 20 months and six-month non-parole period.
Kong was released from custody pending his Supreme Court appeal, in which he argued the sentence was excessive and the magistrate erred by not suspending it.
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