Phnom Penh (FN), May 10 – Prime Minister Hun Sen sent a positive message this morning in regard of the imprisoned National Election Committee (NEC)’s official and four other human rights workers that he may request a royal pardon or clemency.
During the graduation ceremony at Vanda Institute of Accountancy in the morning of May 10, 2016, Prime Minister Hun Sen apparently demonstrated his intention to solve the issues for the detained officials as to either get royal pardon or clemency. He recommended seeking good lawyers for those people rather than exerting pressure for the sake of their release.
“To exert pressure would not help to find the way out but would only make things worse for those people,” said the premier.
“I may take the issue into consideration based on whether or not you are very antagonistic. However, the case is now in the hands of the court and so I cannot interfere. But once the curt has come to the final verdicts, the issues will then be in the hands of the Prime Minister since the prison law allows for the Prime Minister to request royal pardon or clemency at any time,” said Prime Minister Hun Sen who also added “But what you have currently been doing would only make the situation of the detainees worse, since the government would not allow millions of people to get harmed by just the 4-5 people who are at fault.”
Currently four officials of a human rights organization, Adhoc, namely Mr. Ny Sokha, chief of investigation, Mr. Yi Soksan, deputy chief of investigation, Mr. Nay Vongda, deputy chief of investigation and Ms. Lim Muny, senior investigation officer, and an official of the National Election Committee, Mr. Ny Chakriya, who is also a former Adhoc’s official, have been remanded in custody at Prey Sar prison and at the police detention center. They have been charged with bribery of a witness, and being an accomplice in the bribery.
Their arrests and detention were made after Kem Sokha’s mistress Khom Chandarati, known by her nick name as Srey Mom, produced an open letter, describing her relationship with Acting President of CNRP Kem Sokha and claiming that the five people above persuaded her not to tell the story to the police.
=FRESHNEWS
