CPP lawmaker Sar Sokha has denied any involvement in the timber trade in Prey Veng province after a depot owner used his name and that of Prime Minister Hun Sen to threaten local journalists.
The incident took place when a timber depot owner in Pea Reang district got into an argument with local journalists planning to write a story about his operations.
Vy Channa, 22, the owner’s son, then called the journalists and threatened them, claiming that Mr Sokha and Mr Hun Sen were behind their operation and any publication of their activity would be met with an aggressive response.
The journalist recorded the conversation and posted it on Facebook, leading Mr Sokha to deny that he had any links to the depot and also to the arrest of Mr Channa.
“I strongly deny the claims made by the timber depot, bearing the name Pei Vy,” Mr Sokha said on his Facebook page on Saturday.
“They used my name and our Prime Minister’s for their own benefit. We have nothing to do with the depot.”
Provincial deputy police chief General Brigadier Pov Chivy said police arrested Mr Channa after the audio recording surfaced online.“We arrested him and sent him to the provincial police station for questioning because he used the names of government leaders and parliamentarians to protect his business,” he said.
He added the accused will be sent to court today.
