Cambodia ministry to review case

KUALA LUMPUR: The Justice Ministry in Cambodia will review the case of 47 Malaysians detained since December last year over their suspected involvement in fraud and illegal online gambling.

Its spokesman, Chin Malin, told the Khmer Times on Monday that the ministry would act based on laws and procedures.

Malin was also asked on the supposed meeting between Malaysian embassy charge d’affaires Ruzaimi Mohamad and Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana to discuss the fate of the detained Malaysians.

“We just received the letter (diplomatic note) this afternoon. The Malaysian embassy is requesting we check and intervene in this case.

“Our ministry will check on this case,” Malin was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry on Thursday said it would get in touch with provincial police in Cambodia.

The detainees, aged between 19 and 44, were arrested following an anti-gambling raid on a house on Dec 11.

They were arrested together with eight Chinese nationals, who were also occupying the house.

Lieutenant colonel Khem Sophoan, chief of the provincial police’s minor crime bureau, told the newspaper that several Chinese nationals rounded up during the raid were released as initial investigation showed they were merely cooks at the house.

“Before we arrived at the scene, they (detainees) had already destroyed their hard drives from six or seven computers.

“During questioning, they tried to hide information, saying that they did not commit any crime.

“If they did not commit any crime, why did they hide information? If they did not commit a crime, why did they hide underground and destroy their hard drives?” said Sophoan.