Chet given five years in jail
down on opponents.
After the hearing, Chet’s lawyer, Hem Socheat, rubbished the conviction and slammed as baseless the accusation against his client, which centred on $500 donated by CNRP supporters abroad that Chet’s wife offered to Chandaraty’s mother.
Socheat noted the cash, which the defence called a humanitarian gesture, was not taken by the hairdresser’s family anyway.
“The court gave no reasons for the sentence,” Socheat said.
As he was led from the courtroom, Chet, who had already spent 225 days in pretrial detention, also denounced the verdict.
“I did not bribe, I was just asked to bring money from others. I will talk to my lawyers,” Chet said.
But despite the hefty sentence, a recent political deal between the CNRP and CPP yesterday gave Chet’s family cause for hope.
In what the CPP called a “compromise”, Sokha was on Friday granted a royal pardon, quashing his own five-month sentence for refusing to appear at court and answer questions about a “prostitution” case linked to his alleged mistress.
In light of this, Socheat said he planned to file a request for a royal pardon within 10 days.
Chet’s wife, Sreng Khoeun, yesterday said she hoped her husband would be home soon.
“I want him to be released like Kem Sokha,” she said.