Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Court hearing postponed in forest shooting

By May Titthara
 
A COURT hearing on complaints filed by Forestry Administration officials who say they were shot at by former soldiers when they tried to clear a protected forest area in Oddar Meanchey province was postponed Tuesday when a Siem Reap provincial court judge failed to show up for questioning.

A total of 11 officials based in Samraong were summoned for questioning, as were two RCAF soldiers accused of persuading 200 families to move to the protected area from their village 50 kilometres away.

Earlier this month, complaints were filed with the Interior Ministry and the Siem Reap court following an altercation in which members of military families living in the area allegedly opened fire on Forestry Administration officials and physically assaulted 10 of them.

“We came to appear at the court, but the provincial judges were absent because they were busy having a meeting in Phnom Penh. They should’ve confirmed with us – we have wasted our time,” said Von Buntheoun, the chief of the Forestry Administration office in Samraong town.

The case is being handled by the Siem Reap court because there is no court in Oddar Meanchey.
 

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