Tycoon faces court again

A disgraced tycoon and former Chea Sim adviser now serving nearly 10 years in prison for drug trafficking and fraud found himself in hot water again yesterday after being questioned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over fresh charges of faking public documents.

Oknha Tan Senghak – who was arrested and convicted of drug trafficking after being arrested in a raid on an apparent meth party being held at his home last year – was questioned by investigating judge Seng Neang yesterday, said Kong Sareth, a Prey Sar prison guard who transported Senghak to court.

“The investigative judge has already completed his questioning this morning,” Sareth said.

Neang could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Senghak’s attorney, Tith Lay, confirmed that the tycoon had been charged with faking public documents. Lay declined to comment in further detail, saying he was not fully up to speed on the case as Senghak had “just asked me to work and to be his defence lawyer [yesterday]”.

Yin Sarak, a close friend and former employee of Senghak who accompanied him to court, said the case pertained to a 25-hectare parcel of land Senghak had bought in 2001 in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district, and which was now being claimed by Kim Hour, who maintains he bought the same land in 1998.

“[senghak] did not fake any public documents as he was accused of doing. In fact, he legally bought these 25 hectares of land from 60 families with the recognition of the relevant local authorities in Kork Roka commune in 2001,” Sarak.

Hour and his lawyer could not be reached for comment yesterday.