Cambodia’s opposition leader fails to appear in court again
Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) vice president and lawmaker Kem Sokha again ignored a court summons on June 14 over a case of "refusal to appear", Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ly Sophanna said.
 |
| CNRP vice president and lawmaker Kem Sokha (Photo: m-nn.net) |
CNRP said in a statement that Kem Sokha did not present himself in the court because he had parliamentary immunity. The statement, however, said that Kem Sokha had sent a team of lawyers to the court to explain the reason why he refused to appear.
Earlier, Kem Sokha had ignored the court summonses on May 17 and May 25 over a case involving his alleged mistress.
On May 26, the court prosecutor requested police to arrest Sokha for committing a "red-handed" crime of ignoring the summonses. The prosecutor charged him with "refusal to appear", and he could face a prison term of between one and six months under the Penal Code.
The accusation against the deputy opposition leader stems from leaked audio clips of a telephone conversation between him and his alleged mistress.
Hundreds of CNRP supporters gathered on June 14 at the party's headquarters in the southern outskirts of Phnom Penh capital to protect Kem Sokha. Meanwhile, anti-riot police officers have been deployed to ensure social security and public order.
