Emails and bank transfer details collected by U.S. investigators allege the Forestry Administration director used ministry staff to capture thousands of wild monkeys for illegal export — and that they waited until after the 2018 election to avoid scrutiny — while also requesting a large donation to the ruling CPP.
The U.S. court has revealed its felony indictment against two Agriculture Ministry officials and six Vanny Bio Research personnel for conspiracy and smuggling after one of the government officials was arrested in New York on Wednesday.
Following the court’s press statement on the arrest, animal activist group Peta posted the 27-page court indictment document online, which includes arrest warrants for the two Agriculture Ministry officials.
The document outlines the legal basis for the indictment, then lists 35 points in a section on the “overt acts” allegedly committed by the eight defendants.
It starts on December 19, 2017, when Vanny Bio Research allegedly met with Forestry Administration director Keo Omaliss, the indictment says, citing a company email sent that day recounting the meeting.
Omaliss would arrange for Agriculture Ministry staff to capture around 2,000 long-tailed macaques for Vanny Bio Research, the company email allegedly stated, and that Omaliss “will instruct the Director of the National Park to work out a survey report of the animal population.”
Another company email on May 4, 2018 allegedly said the firm was short 300-500 monkeys on a July order, and that collection by Agriculture Ministry staff would have to wait until after the July 29 national election to avoid public and NGO scrutiny.
In a June 14 email, one of the defendants reported to colleagues that Omaliss said “the Minister” had approved the collection and that “final payment should be made to MAFF,” using a common acronym for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Another email from the same day allegedly urged quick payment as “officials need the fund” when “election campaigns start.”
A June 26 email contained an attachment listing a $10,000 expense for “Donation for CPP Party (Request from Mr. Omaliss),” the court indictment alleges.
It adds that a company bank transfer around that time passed through the Bank of America and itemized $40,000 for “PP Animal Collection 2000 Heads.”
The Agriculture Ministry official arrested on Wednesday is named as Masphal Kry, deputy director of the wildlife and biodiversity department.
His involvement in the indictment starts August 2019, from when he is alleged to have repeatedly delivered wild long-tailed macaques to Vanny Bio Research’s Pursat facility. Four separate deliveries are listed in the U.S. indictment, for a total of around 100 animals. The source of the information is not stated.
Another listing in the indictment alleges that Masphal in September 2019 suggested that Vanny Bio Research purchase the land behind its Pursat facility to build a road to make it “more safe for the smuggling.”
The eight defendants, if found guilty, face up to five years in jail for the conspiracy charge and 20 years for each of the seven counts of smuggling.
Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Im Rachana said Thursday morning that the ministry would be issuing a statement about the case, while noting that the arrested ministry official was “still not guilty.”
| Defendant | Position |
| Keo Omaliss | Director of the Forestry Administration |
| Kry Masphal | Deputy Director of the Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity |
| James Man Sang Lau | Owner of Vanny Resources and Vanny Bio Research |
| Dickson Lau | General Manager at Vanny Resources |
| Sunny Chan | Deputy General Manager for Operations at Vanny Group |
| Raphael Cheung Man | Public Relations and Export Manager for Vanny Bio Research |
| Sarah Yeung | Finance Officer of Vanny Group |
| Hing Ip Chung | General Manager of Vanny Bio Research |
