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NY lawmaker, former ambassador face fraud charges in Cambodia


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PHNOM PENH (AP) — A New York state assemblyman and a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations are among four people facing fraud charges in Cambodia.

Republican Assemblyman William Nojay, former ambassador Sichan Siv and two others are accused of obtaining a $1 million investment for their rice-exporting company, then shutting the company down.

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The Khmer Times reports that court proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday. The other two defendants are Richer San, a Cambodian-American community leader, and Thomas Willens, former head of a non-profit in Cambodia. Lawyers for the defendants have denied the allegations.

Nojay tells the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester (http://on.rocne.ws/29p6AM6 ) he expects to be exonerated. A call to Nojay's district office near Rochester was not returned.

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Ex-US Ambassador to UN in Fraud Case

Four American nationals including former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Sichan Siv will be tried by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court next week on allegations of fraud. The trial comes after a former partner in the Americans’ now-defunct rice export company, AKRA Agriculture Partners, sued them in 2013 for allegedly defrauding her of $1 million.

According to a summons signed by judge Svay Tonh, court proceedings will start somewhat ironically on the morning of July 4. Mr. Tonh named the defendants in the case as Mr. Siv, 67, who served as the US Ambassador to the UN from 2000 to 2006 and also as AKRA’s chairman, the Senior Vice-President and Director of Business Development at AKRA, Cambodian-American San Richer, 52, AKRA President and CEO Thomas A. Willems and AKRA Secretary, Treasurer and Director Wimmiam R. Nojay.

Although Mr. Richer was arrested in September 2014, Mr. Siv, Mr. Willems and Mr. Nojay remain at large. All four were charged with fraud under article 377 and 378 of the Penal Code. Mr. Richer is now out of detention after posting $1 million for bail. The plaintiff, Eng Lykuong, contends she was first introduced to Mr. Richer and Mr. Siv by a mutual Cambodian-American friend named Kaylenea Men, according to Ms. Lykuong’s official complaint, which was obtained by Khmer Times yesterday.

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26741/ex-us-ambassador-to-un-in-fraud-case/

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