Court summons opposition MP even though his parliamentary is not lifted yet

Prey Veng SRP MP Chea Poch
21 Sept 2010
By Vipheak
Khmer Machas Srok
Translated from Khmer by Soch

Prey Veng SRP MP Chea Poch was very disappointed that he was summoned by the Phnom Penh municipal court to show up on 29 September 2010 so that he could be sentenced in the defamation lawsuit case brought up against him in August 2004. The summons was issued to him while he is still a full Member of Parliament and his parliamentary immunity has not been lifted yet for the legal proceedings to take place.

Chea Poch told Khmer Machas Srok in the morning of 21 September that: “If they want to sentence me, then my parliamentary immunity must be lifted first before I can be sentenced, but, I still hold my immunity and yet they summon me for a sentencing session.”

During the past two years, opposition officials – both MPs and local representatives – were implicated in many lawsuits brought up against them by the ruling CPP party and by CPP officials. Opposition officials and civil society organizations indicated that this is a dangerous political game led by the ruling CPP party.