Timber trader arrested, again
APROMINENT Vietnamese timber trader was arrested and put in pre-trial detention for the second time this year after some two tonnes of rosewood allegedly connected to her were discovered in Oddar Meanchey province, authorities said yesterday.
Nguyen Thimay, alias “Grandma May”, was arrested in Trapaing Prasat district on Friday following the issuance of a warrant from the provincial court for violating articles 96 and 98 of the Forestry Law, which deal with the unauthorised felling of timber, provincial prosecutor Koy Kanya said.
“We arrested Grandma May based on the warrant. The judge decided to detain her temporarily at the provincial prison,” he said.
The charges carry up to five years’ imprisonment and fines ranging from 10 to 100 million riel (about $2,500 to $25,000). Article 96 carries an additional fine based on the market price of impounded evidence.
This latest arrest relates to allegations dating back to February 4 in Anlong Veng commune. At that time authorities discovered some 2 tonnes of rosewood at her home, though Thimay was nowhere to be found. The case went to the provincial court and in August, Investigating Judge Try Sophort issued a warrant for her arrest.
Additionally, after Thimay was arrested on Friday, Kanya continued, authorities discovered an additional depot in Trapaing Prasat district where another two tonnes of rosewood and three table saws were seized. According to Kanya, Thimay denied any connection to the depot, and authorities are still preparing to file the case to court.
Sout Sisokheang, the director of the Oddar Meanchey Agriculture Department, said that Thimay’s case involves alleged accomplices working along the Cambodia-Thailand border, but that Forestry Administration officials are unable to access the areas as they are under military control.
“For this involvement of people at the border, we, as civilians, cannot enter or have rights to bear weapons because it is the prohibited area,” Sisokheang said.
Thimay’s previous arrest occurred in July in Kampong Thom province, where she was charged with forestry crimes and faking vehicle licence plates. She was released from Kampong Thom provincial prison three months later.
One of the investigating judges for that case, Seng Bunna, yesterday said he was only responsible for the lesser offense of faking the licence plates, for which he said Thimay had served the prison term, although he could not recall the length of that term.
He referred questions about the forestry crimes she had been charged with to Investigating Judge Khorn Sakorl, who declined to comment yesterday.