Prosecutor grills boss of Sokha’s ‘Mon Srey’

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Niem Chheng

The boss of opposition leader Kem Sokha’s purported mistress was questioned yesterday by a Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor probing claims the woman lied to police and worked as a prostitute.

Khmer Angkor Barber Shop owner Tuon Socheat said prosecutor Sieng Sok quizzed him about Khom Chandaraty, also known by her Facebook name ‘Mon Srey’, who authorities say is featured speaking intimately to the Cambodia National Rescue Party acting president in recorded phone conversations leaked to social media.

“Sieng Sok asked about Mon Srey’s activities at my shop such as when she started working with me, how often she took leave and many other things,” Socheat said. “Mon Srey asked me to take leave since March 1, after the recording was circulated on Facebook.”

read more http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national

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Barbershop Boss Unaware of Alleged Sokha Relationship

Khmer Times/Taing Vida

Tuesday, 05 April 2016

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The manager of the Angkor Khmer barbershop, where acting president of the opposition CNRP Kem Sokha allegedly met his supposed mistress Khom Chandaraty, said he was unaware of any relationship between the pair when he appeared at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday to answer questions.

Manager Toun Socheat said he had already responded with what he knew during an interview with a local radio station, adding that he had no idea if Mr. Sokha and Ms. Chandaraty, who went by the name Srey Mom on Facebook, were in a relationship.

“I am not interested in their personal matters and what I told to the court was the same as when I was interviewed by Radio Free Asia (RFA). I did not talk much because I did not know anything about their relationship,” he said.

According to the interview between Mr. Socheat and RFA last month, Ms. Chandaraty did not change her behavior at all when dealing with Mr. Sokha and carried out her work in the same manner as his other staff.

He added that he thought the voice in a series of intimate phone recordings allegedly between the acting president and Ms. Chandaraty’s was in fact hers, but could not be sure. He said that all of his employees had regular clients and that business had been affected by the ongoing investigation.

“Each of my staff has their own regular clients and I never notice their activities. When Mr. Kem Sokha came to have his hair cut, he never demanded any specific barber to do it for him...for me I do not believe it,” he said.

“My shop seems too quiet since this problem happened and Ms. Chandaraty’s niece took the salary for February already and since then we haven’t contacted each other.”

Seang Sok, the deputy prosecutor of the Municipal Court, told Khmer Times yesterday that the case is still under investigation, but declined to comment further.

“He [Mr. Socheat] already gave the answers, but for this case I cannot say anything yet because it is under investigation and whether Ms. Srey Mom appears in court or not is the right of the suspect and the lawyer,” said Mr. Sok.

Ms. Chandaraty’s sister-in-law, who asked not be named, said yesterday that her family made the decision to request a lawyer from rights group Adhoc to appear before the Interior Police, who have accused Ms. Chandaraty of prostitution and of providing false testimony.

“Our family decided to request a lawyer from Adhoc to discuss this case. If she doesn’t have a lawyer, Srey Mom couldn’t be present in the court,” Ms. Chandaraty’s sister-in-law said. “So, we decided that [we] will request a lawyer soon and hope Adhoc will provide.”

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/23641/barbershop-boss-unaware-of-alleged-sokha-relationship/