Kampong Cham police have admitted they mistakenly assessed a 2018 crime involving an online news publisher as “red-handed,” as the publisher continues to seek justice over his six-day detention at the time.
Sem Bora, director of online TV channel TNM, was detained for six days in late October 2018 over fraud in relation to a land dispute. The plaintiff, Tep Phearum, accused Bora of fraud of over $100,000 after buying land from eight families in Batheay district’s Sambo commune.
Bora says the accusations were false, and has called for justice over what he considers to be wrongful arrest without a court order. In a letter dated June 24 this year, he asked for intervention from Interior Minister Sar Kheng, seeking the disciplining of Kampong Cham police officers whom he says abused their power.
Kampong Cham provincial police chief Em Kosal sent a reply to Interior Minister Kheng on August 8 acknowledging that police officials had mistakenly characterized Bora’s crime as “red-handed” in their report to the court and prosecutor.
Otherwise, police had complied with procedures, Kosal said, adding that he would further check on the errors committed.
Bora said this week that he wanted to see authorities take action over what he considers to be an injustice.
“This is the point, that he accepted his mistake. He made a wrong report [and] handcuffed someone, and defamed another person’s reputation,” Bora said.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said he had not seen Bora’s intervention letter.
