Ky Tech, who lost the Oct 16 election to become president of the Cambodian Bar Association, on Monday filed a complaint against the winner at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, accusing his rival Suon Visal of illegally putting his name on the association’s letterhead.
Municipal Court Prosecutor Ouk Savouth has accepted the complaint and summoned Suon Visal to face questioning on June 30, Suon Visal’s lawyer Chiv Song Hak said Monday.
Ky Tech has accused Suon Visal of illegally removing Ky Tech’s name from the association’s letterhead and replacing it with his own, and of illegally using the association’s stamp, according to a copy of the complaint.
In a letter signed by seven of the 19 association council members, Ky Tech urged the court to “charge and punish Suon Visal and accomplices according to the law,” and to pay compensation to Ky Tech.
Contacted Monday, Suon Visal said he opposed the complaint, adding that as the democratically elected president of the association, his name should be on the letterhead, and he has the right to use the official stamp.
“I think the complaint is wrong,” Suon Visal said. “They use the stamp of the bar illegally after [Ky Tech] was defeated in the election. They are trying to block the bar that we are trying to open. This is an intimidation to stop us from doing our job.”
Ouk Savouth said he was too busy to discuss the bar association on Monday.
On Oct 17, one day after Suon Visal defeated Ky Tech, Ky Tech challenged the election result and in a closed door hearing on Nov 19, the Appeals Court threw out the election results and handed the presidency back to Ky Tech without explanation.
Suon Visal appealed the decision, and the Supreme Court on June 2 annulled the Appeals Court decision.
The case is now back at the Appeals Court.
