Phnom Penh Chamber of Commerce President Teng Bunma on Tuesday declined to comment on a Thai warrant for his arrest on fraud charges.
The business tycoon has been mum since it emerged earlier this month that Thailand had charged him with attempting to obtain Thai passports with false information. Thai authorities want to arrest him and strip him of his Thai citizenship, according to news reports from Thailand.
On Tuesday at the Hotel Inter-Continental, which is located in the Teng Bunma-owned Regency Square development, the businessman refused to answer questions regarding the charges.
A Thai Embassy official said the tycoon had visited the embassy following the revelation earlier this month that a warrant had been issued, and asked the embassy to contact authorities in Thailand for confirmation.
The official said Wednesday that they have yet to receive a response. And to his knowledge, he said, no request for assistance has been made by Thailand to the Cambodian government.
Teng Bunma is a close associate of Second Prime Minister Hun Sen. His holdings include a casino in the Hotel Inter-Continental, the Cambodia Mekong Bank and the Olympic Market building. He was barred from the US last year for alleged involvement in drug trafficking. He has denied any drug connections.
