Former Bavet town governor Chhouk Bandith (centre) exits Phnom Penh’s Appeal Court in March. HENG CHIVOAN
The lawyer of
wanted fugitive Chhouk Bandith yesterday said key witnesses had not been
summonsed to an appeal hearing of the sentencing of the powerful former
Bavet town governor, scheduled for Thursday.
Defence lawyer Sun Bannarith told the Post he had found out about the hearing from the media and claimed not to know where his client was hiding out.
“I have yet to receive any information on the Appeal Court [hearing] besides getting questions from reporters.… I cannot say where my client is because he hasn’t told me where he is either,” he said.
The Svay Rieng Provincial Court in June ordered Bandith to serve an 18-month prison term and pay 38 million riel ($9,500) in compensation to three victims who were shot during a protest of thousands of workers outside the Kaoway Sports factory, a supplier to Puma in Svay Rieng’s Manhattan Special Economic Zone.
Though numerous witnesses confirmed they had seen Bandith shooting into the crowd of demonstrators on February 20 last year, he was never arrested.
Bannarith said the latest court proceedings would not be fair, because key witnesses had not been called to appear.
Defence lawyer Sun Bannarith told the Post he had found out about the hearing from the media and claimed not to know where his client was hiding out.
“I have yet to receive any information on the Appeal Court [hearing] besides getting questions from reporters.… I cannot say where my client is because he hasn’t told me where he is either,” he said.
The Svay Rieng Provincial Court in June ordered Bandith to serve an 18-month prison term and pay 38 million riel ($9,500) in compensation to three victims who were shot during a protest of thousands of workers outside the Kaoway Sports factory, a supplier to Puma in Svay Rieng’s Manhattan Special Economic Zone.
Though numerous witnesses confirmed they had seen Bandith shooting into the crowd of demonstrators on February 20 last year, he was never arrested.
Bannarith said the latest court proceedings would not be fair, because key witnesses had not been called to appear.