The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday heard the case of two transport company employees who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of garments destined for Europe.
Chu Ochi, 21, and Em Chamnam, 22, were arrested in December on charges of stealing from Teng Lay Transport Company trucks en route from Phnom Penh to the Sihanoukville port.
Mr. Ochi told the court he was an operations employee for the company and that he ordered Mr. Chamnam to make unscheduled stops in Dangkao commune.
Khim Sam Ol, a third suspect who remains at large, would then usher the truck into an empty lot and help Mr. Chamnam break the locks on the container to offload some clothes.
The three would then sell the clothes, pocketing $1,000 to $15,000 on each occasion.
“I did it three times in December 2013,” Mr. Chamnam admitted.
He said his $150 salary was not enough to live on. The two men face three to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
A verdict will be handed down July 1.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Chu Ochi told the Phnom Penh Municipal Court he was an operations director for the Teng Lay Transport Company. He told the court he was an operations employee.
