On October 8 Kruy Limheng, the former Consul General of Cambodia in Kunming, Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to seven years in prison and fined 10 million Riel (approximately $2,500).
On December 29, 2019, Kruy Limheng was detained suspected of four crimes, including deliberately destroying public records, abuse of power, corruption and refusal to declare property (from 2015 until 2019). There have been reports that Kruy Limheng was suspected of handing over signed and stamped visas to private individuals to sell them to tourists in order to earn an illegal income.
Kruy Limheng's family members told the media that they did not agree with the court's decision and claimed that there were other reasons for his arrest.
Family members said that his case stemmed from a dispute between him and another consular official. Kruy Limheng served in the Cambodian Consulate General in Kunming, China, from 2016 to 2018, and was the head of the Kunming Consulate General. Before returning to Phnom Penh after leaving his office in 2018, Limheng handed over 1,600 visas to the consulate officer for safekeeping, with signatures and video recording as evidence.
His family members said that after he returned to Phnom Penh, the consulate officer Limheng handed the visas to reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 500 visas were missing. Limheng and the consulate officer negotiated this but failed to reach an agreement. In early 2019, Limheng complained to the National Gendarmerie about the abuse of power by the consulate officer.
The National Gendarmerie arrested the consulate officer for interrogation, but senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice intervened. The National Gendarmerie interrogated the consulate officer for about one hour before finally releasing him.
Limheng's family members stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) supported the consulate officer, and the gendarmerie supported Limheng. After the consulate officer was released, the Anti-Corruption Unit sued Limheng for corruption and abuse of power.
According to a report by the Anti-Corruption Unit, Kruy Limheng admitted his mistake to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and paid a fine of over $40,000 for the 500 lost tourist visas.
Kruy Limheng was arrested on December 27, 2019, and was sent to Prey Sar prison on December 30, 2019.
Former Kunming Consul sentenced to 7 years, but family says there is another side of the story
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Former Kunming Consul sentenced to 7 years, but family says there is another side of the story
Bringing the news. You stay classy, nas, Cambodia.
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