Famous "whistleblower" Heng Sitthy appeared in court in Phnom Penh, but the focus was not on the online gambling and telecom fraud he has long exposed, but rather a "defamation" case.
The plaintiff is Cambodian internet celebrity journalist Peng Wanna, who accused Heng Sitthy of defaming him in a Facebook post and demanded compensation of 400 million riels (about $25,000). On the day of the trial, Peng Wanna himself did not appear, only his lawyer attended on his behalf.
Since December last year, Heng Sitthy has repeatedly exposed on social media the involvement of Cambodia's political and business elites in protecting telecom fraud parks, which has attracted widespread social attention. The individuals he named include Hun Sen's nephew Hun Du, Minister of Interior Su Sokha, National Police Chief Su Tong, head of the Anti-Gambling and Telecom Fraud Task Force Su Po, and former governor of Sihanoukville, Guo Zongren.
On December 3 last year, the Phnom Penh court issued an arrest warrant for Heng Sitthy. He was arrested in Russia on January 14 this year and was deported back to Cambodia on the night of May 24.
Although Heng Sitthy's revelations have sparked heated public debate, the charges he currently faces in court are unrelated to telecom fraud, and the final direction of the case is still pending further judicial review.
