The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday began hearing the case of a man accused of stealing clothes from a container truck on its way to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in August 2012.
Prum Chanthoeun, 55, is already serving a two-year sentence for his role in the case after he was convicted of leasing land to a gang to store the container, Presiding Judge Suos Sam Ath said.
“You are now charged with aggravated theft for colluding with the other men to break the seal on the container and steal the clothes,” he said.
Deputy prosecutor Khieu Phalla said Mr. Chanthoeun rented vans to transport the clothes from his land to a nearby market, earning $4,000 from the container for the robbers and $500 for himself.
The defendant denied the new charge.
“They came to me to rent my land to exchange the clothes, but I do not accept this charge because I did not commit the crime,” he said.
His lawyer, Koy Kunthy, said there was no new evidence and asked the court to drop the case. A verdict is due July 18.
