Sok An’s Nephew Signed, Stamped Letters, Suspect Said
It is a case officials say is a brazen act of fraud perpetrated by a low-ranking civil servant. But critics say it’s just business as usual in the Cambodian government.
The alleged fraud was the forging of the signatures of three of Cambodia’s most powerful officials authorizing the export of more than 15,000 logs to Thailand.
When the scheme first came to light in June, one of the first suspects was Seng Sitha, a secretary at the Council of Ministers and a nephew of the Minister of the Council, Sok An.
But ultimately, it is a low-level official at the Council, Sok Bunrith, who is facing prosecution.
The letters, purportedly signed by Sok An, Council of Ministers Secretary of State Sum Manit, and Co-Minister for Interior Sar Kheng, order authorities in Pailin to export 20,000 cubic meters of old logs to help develop the remote Northwest municipality that for years was held by the Khmer Rouge.
“Old logs” refers to wood cut but not harvested during the Khmer Rouge years. When the government subsequently cracked down on logging in early 1999, it outlawed the removal of such logs from the forest.
“We are now in a difficult position as international [watchdogs], non-government organizations and donor communities, particularly Global Witness, are constantly pressuring and monitoring us,” the letter purportedly signed by Sar Kheng states.
“[The removal of logs] shall be immediately stopped or temporarily suspended in case there is any investigation or monitoring conducted by any forces of any international organization.”
The alleged fraud was exposed when a Thai businessman presented the letters to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok and asked for authorization to remove the logs, Sum Manit said this week.
The ambassador became suspicious, and at the end of June he brought the letters to Phnom Penh.
“As soon as I saw the signature, I knew it was not mine,” Sum Manit said.
Under orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen, Interior Ministry officials began an immediate criminal investigation into the case, Sum Manit said.
But a Global Witness director said this week he believes the letters are authentic.
“We have no reason to believe they are forgeries,” Patrick Alley said by email from London. “Apart from anything else, we believe that no one would risk forging the signature of such high officials….Furthermore, comparisons of handwriting are exact, and more to the point, the style of the deal mirrors countless others we have seen before.”
According to two Interior Ministry officials close to the case, Sok Bunrith earlier this year approached an old school friend, Ly Sarouen, who works as an official in the Pailin Urbanization Department.
Sok Bunrith told Ly Saroeun he could help the province get authorization to export old logs, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday. Pailin had applied for permission once before but was rejected.
Ly Sarouen agreed to arrange a meeting between Sok Bunrith and Pailin Governor Y Chhien in Phnom Penh, the officials said. The two men met at the Sheraton Hotel in April or May, and Sok Bunrith assured the governor he could get the authorization in exchange for an unspecified pay-off, the officials said.
The following day, Sok Bunrith phoned Ly Saroeun in Pailin to tell him the deal was going ahead.
According to a letter from Y Chhien to investigators in the Interior Ministry, Sok Bunrith then met Pailin Second Deputy Governor Keut Sothea and Third Deputy Governor Keo Horn to negotiate a final deal, the officials said.
Sok Bunrith met the men at a Phnom Penh restaurant and showed them originals of the letters of authorization, promising to give them photocopies the next day.
“He needed to keep the original in order to bargain, to demand more money from Pailin,” the officials said Y Chhien’s letter states.
Y Chhien could not be reached for comment.
When police later searched Sok Bunrith’s office at the Council of Ministers, they said they found originals of the three letters.
Police said they found papers at his home on which someone had practiced writing the signatures for the letter and the signature of Hun Sen.
Sok Bunrith, who remains in police custody awaiting the results of the investigation, admitted writing the signatures, but told investigators he did it only because he was “very bored,” the officials said.
He repeatedly denied forging the signatures or stealing official stamps. He said he wrote the letters and then handed them on to Sok An’s nephew Seng Sitha to be signed and given an official stamp.
The officials said they are convinced that Sok Bunrith could not have acted alone. But so far he has not named anyone as being involved in the forgeries except Seng Sitha.
Seng Sitha was summoned for questioning in June and then immediately released because of “insufficient evidence,” said Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Sok Sitha Mony.
The two Interior Ministry officials and Sum Manit claimed that although he worked in the Council of Ministers, Sok Bunrith did not know Seng Sitha.
When he met Seng Sitha during interrogations by police, the officials said Sok Bunrith did not recognize the boss’ nephew.
