Two Congolese men received eight-year prison sentences at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday after being found guilty of using fake passports to open multiple bank accounts in a money laundering scheme.
Emmanuel Ngoma Ngoma Coco, 45, and Junior Bin Mungomba, 36, were convicted of forging public documents and using forged public documents.
Presiding Judge Y Thavrak also ned each man 4 million riel, or about $1,000.
Arrested in June, both confessed to their crimes at their trial last week. Mr. Coco said he used fake passports sent from Thailand to open the bank accounts and took 5 percent of the money deposited into them while handing the rest off to someone else.
He said he withdrew about $100,000 in total, though authorities suspect it was more. Mr. Mungomba was apprehended before withdrawing any money.
After last week’s trial, Thou Saroeun, deputy director of the Interior Ministry’s anti-terrorism department, said he would ask Interpol to pursue additional suspects in Thailand.
