‘Fake general’ arrested for land grab attempt

A LAND broker who allegedly impersonated a two-star general in an attempt to grab land in Preah Sihanouk province was arrested on Wednesday, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court spokesman Lem Bunheng announced yesterday.

Pretending to be a two-star general in the Prime Minister’s Bodyguard Unit named Yu Narin, Nget Sarin, 47, allegedly led a group of homeless people to build huts on state and private land in Preah Sihanouk’s Stung Hav district.

Preah Sihanouk Military Police Chief Chhung Vuthy said authorities arrested Sarin following a 10-day investigation. He is currently in Preah Sihanouk Provincial Prison.

According to Bunheng, Sarin actually works as a land broker and resides in Stung Hav’s Com- mune 3. Following his arrest, he was sent to the provincial court, where he was charged with three crimes: acting to cause confusion by convincing the public that he is a public servant; using a vehicle with an unauthorised police or military logo; and use of an identity that is different from the official identity in public documents, Bunheng said.

On July 11, Hing Bun Heang, the commander of Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit, issued a statement denying Narin’s membership in the unit and calling for action against him.

“Yu Narin does not have his name in the official registry, and he is not a major general or deputy chief of the Bodyguard Unit,” Bun Heang said in his statement. “I suggest immediate measures, since this severely affects the reputation of the unit.”