The imprisoned former president of the National Power Party, Sun Chanthy, has appealed to Candlelight Party leader Teav Vannol to help withdraw a fraud lawsuit filed against him by seven party members from Kampong Thom province. The complaint accuses him of embezzling more than 12 million riel earlier this year.
In a letter written from prison on November 1 and released publicly today, Sun Chanthy said the seven members of the Candlelight Party in Santuk district filed the lawsuit claiming he had taken party funds to form the National Power Party.
He said the Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged and detained him on October 22, 2025, calling it another act of injustice following previous incitement charges brought against him in May 2024.
The former opposition leader reminded Teav Vannol that he, too, should be well aware of Cambodia’s judicial system, which he described as politically influenced and lacking independence. Chanthy urged the Candlelight Party president to intervene and facilitate the withdrawal of the complaint so that he could regain his freedom and reunite with his family.
On February 1, 2024, Candlelight Party provincial executive in Kampong Thom, Sun Sunheng, along with 19 other alleged victims, filed the lawsuit to the Kampong Thom Provincial Court accusing Chanthy of fraud.
Sun Sunheng asked the court to order Chanthy to repay 12.8 million riel in campaign-related funds and an additional 5,000 U.S. dollars in emotional damages.
According to the same source, before forming the National Power Party, Sun Chanthy served as the Candlelight Party’s executive director in Kampong Thom. During that time, he allegedly collected 1.6 million riel from each of the 19 members to fund the party’s 2023 national election campaign.
The Cambodia Daily has not yet been able to reach Candlelight Party president Teav Vannol for comment on the matter as of broadcast time.
