Phnom Penh – Cambodian opposition party leader said Saturday that he was prepared to answer to court questioning through internet over a lawsuit lodged against him by a lawyer of a lower house president.

In a message posted on his Facebook page, Sam Rainsy who is in exile in France said he was prepared to respond to questions by the court on 4 January 2016 through skype call over the accusations that he had defamed Samdech Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly on Facebook.

“In order to save costs and times, I can answer to all questions by the court through Internet using skype call,” said Rainsy. “However, before addressing the questions by the judges, I would like to pose a question also to the judges that from what capacity does Mr. Heng Samrin sue me?”

Rainsy said the texts and his comments posted on the Facebook, he never mentioned Samdech Heng Samrin by name and that only a video clip that he posted contains a passage made by the late King Norodom Sihanouk condemning Heng Samrin of serving Vietnamese interests.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a summon early December last year to Sam Rainsy for questioning over a lawsuit filed by Heng Samrin's lawyer that Rainsy had defamed the parliament's president of masterminding a death sentence rendered to the late King.

When reached for comment, Taing Sunlay, chief of Phnom Penh Municipal Court told Fresh News that, according to legal procedure, there is no provision that allows such testimony over skype call.​