Top: Chhouk Bandith, the suspected gunman.
Bottom: Keo Near, 18, receives treatment at a private clinic after being shot in the arm during a protest outside the Kaoway Sports factory near Bavet town last month. Derek StoutMay Titthara and David Boyle
Thursday, 08 March 2012
Phnom Penh Post
"Last week, Sam Sinat also told the Post that Bavet town officials had visited his sister in hospital, offering her a gift of about $500 from deputy prime minister Men Sam An while again handing her an agreement not to press charges."
The price of justice in Bavet town is cheap if the alleged efforts of local officials to bribe shooting victim Buot Chinda are any indication.
In the border town known for gambling and garment factories, municipal officials yesterday offered Buot Chinda her choice of US$1,000 or a new motorbike for her silence over town governor and sole suspect Chhouk Bandith’s role in her near-fatal shooting, both her brother and a deputy village chief said.
About seven municipal officials from the town in Svay Rieng province paid the family a visit at their Prey Phdao village home in Bavet town’s Chrak M’tes commune to make the offer in exchange for thumb-printing an agreement not to press charges, her elder brother Sam Sinat said.
“They look down on my sister’s life like a chicken. Now I am worried about my sister’s safety, because those authorities know my house well,” he said.
Sam Sinat said his 21-year-old sister – who was shot through the chest at the rowdy protest outside the Kaoway Sports Ltd shoe factory in Svay Rieng province on February 20 – would bow neither to temptation nor intimidation.
“I want to find justice for my sister. My sister’s life is not like an animal so that they can shoot at [her] anytime they want,” he said.
She still plans to press charges in about three days time, but will leave Bavet first, fearing that if town officials can’t buy her off, they will resort to more sinister ways to silence her, Sam Sinat added.
Buot Chinda returned to her home on Monday after being released from Phnom Penh’s Calmette hospital two weeks after she was shot along with 18-year-old Keo Neth and 23-year-old Nuth Sakhorn by a man who fled the scene despite the presence of police.
Sok Sea, deputy Prey Phdao village chief, said five officials from Bavet town, including the police chief, his two deputies and two Chrak M’tes commune chiefs, joined him in attempting to facilitate the deal.
“I don’t know where they got that money from, and they came to the victim’s village three times already, but Chhouk Bandith never came, only his deputy governor,” he said.
Despite Sok Sea’s account of the meeting, Bavet town police chief Keo Kong denied he had been involved in any such negotiations.
“I did not go to victim’s house. I don’t know about the news that they offered the victim $1,000 to stop her plan to file a complaint,” he said.
Last week, Sam Sinat also told the Post that Bavet town officials had visited his sister in hospital, offering her a gift of about $500 from deputy prime minister Men Sam An while again handing her an agreement not to press charges.
Rights groups are closely monitoring the case, fearing it will unfold like so many other dubious chapters in the recent history of the Cambodian justice system – with scapegoats, impunity and corruption.
Moeun Tola, head of the labour program at the Community Legal Education Centre, said the alleged attempted payoff by Bavet officials was particularly stupid as it simply added to the weight of evidence against their boss.
“What are they trying to do? This shows it is true that Chhouk Bandith is the perpetrator,” he said.
He said that by law, police should have arrested the suspect immediately after the shooting, which they witnessed, adding there was ample evidence now to arrest Chhouk Bandith, including a ballistics report from the Ministry of Interior.
On Monday, the Svay Rieng provincial court issued a summons instead of a warrant for Chhouk Bandith – who has been identified as the sole suspect by Minister of Interior Sar Kheng - claiming police reports were not sufficiently conclusive to arrest the governor.
The shooting took place in front of about 6,000 protesters, including police, and was reportedly caught in security footage that Ministry of Interior officials had inspected.
Mathieu Pellerin, a monitoring consultant with rights group Licadho, said the minister of justice could and should intervene to have the case moved to another court if there was sufficient evidence of judicial interference.
“I think that’s proof enough for people to know that if there is justice and rule of law in this case, it’s not going to go through authorities in Svay Rieng,” he said.
Sam Prachea Manith, director of cabinet at the Ministry of Justice, said it was untrue that Bavet officials had tried to pay off Buot Chinda’s family, before declining to comment further.
Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said he knew nothing about judicial interference in the case.
10 comments:
This Mata religious (La Mante religieuse or Kandaup Sess)Men Sam An, as Deputy PM doesn't defend the victims and instead defends the Criminal. Is she worth Deputy Prime Minister?
Her Husband, current senator Pal Pat, was a hooligan soldier in the year 1980 and 1990's.What is shameful is that she is also 4 Star general (Phkay Chor).
Being a Deputy PM, a 4 Star to defend the criminal is laughable!
Cambodia has too many corrupted officials nowaday, and they never put them on trial for the crime they've commited...Their son, nephew raped and robbed people, they alway get off the hook...by paying off victims the money to shut them up? I believe our country will be destroy like khmer empier for good!
In the third world country they impeach president, impeach the judges, they even put mayor in jail for bribery...etc...But in cambodia protecting the criminals??
Vietcong representative in Cambodia wants to impose their own "justice" on Cambodian Court procedures. Hun Sen please help put the criminal and his protectors in jail! By so doing you may save Cambodian garment industry.
I've seen official took bribe from khmer tourist at Pochentong In't airport...It was disgusting!! They kept playing with passport...delaying delaying?
They kept asking for $20 dollar for lunch?
Whenever Ah Hun Sen is in power their will be no justice for the victims. The criminal will be walking free
You don't need to go far to find corruption in cambodia, just start looking from Pochintong In't airport, as soon you landed...
The first comment at 12:15 AM, Thank for your info. Even by seeing Men Sam An in the picture, she looks like one of the stupidest and most uneducated persons. I know someone who does business with her. He said people has to really pay a lot of money to her to get a license or right to do certain business, she is really corrupt, he said.
I doubt something will happen to these two because Men Sam An protects Chhouk Bandith and Hun Sen protects Men Sam An. Now Hun Sen did not sack Chhouk Bandith, but merely transfer him to another job. This is a joke considering that he is a criminal, not just a suspect, but the CCTV shows that he was a shooter.
Transfer this criminal to different location? The samething protecting him...Wright? He must be in court answering to the judge....Not working at another jobs?
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