The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Just visited my room” plus 9 more

I did not have sex with those girls. They just visited my room very often.

University rector Tep Kolap on Tuesday filed a defamation lawsuit against CPP senator Kok An, asking for legal action and $35 million in damages from the tycoon, an associate said yesterday.

"Tep Kolap has sufficient proof in her lawsuit against Oknha Kok An. Based on the strong proof, I hope that the court will accept the lawsuit and find the justice for her," said Chan Bora, a relative of Kolap's.

Kolap and her husband, Heng Chheang, were accused of embezzling more than $58 million from An's business, but the Supreme Court ruled last September that an audit implicating the two had been incomplete, and ordered Kolap to be released and the case against Chheang to be retried after a new audit.

Kolap's lawsuit refers to articles 311 and 312 of the Penal Code, which assign criminal liability to anyone who wrongfully accuses an innocent person.

According to Bora, Kolap has also lost more than $15 million since her 2011 arrest in interest fees for construction at Phnom Penh International University and was seeking additional payment for damages.

An's lawyer, Long Dara, said he was unaware of the latest suit.

The number of Ratanakkiri residents trapped in their homes by floodwater that continues to rise amid relentless rain is now estimated by provincial authorities to be at least 4,000.

Heavy rain has put five Lumphat district communes – Lbaing I, Chey Uddom, Batang, Seda and Kaleng – under more than one metre of water in a deluge that has damaged crops, killed livestock and left police unable to reach people stranded in their homes, Klong Thoerng, Lumphat's deputy police chief, said yesterday.

Thoerng's department has a small boat and a larger boat, he said, though authorities are unable to use either to rescue stranded villagers.

The small boat is too weak to fight the water's current, while the large boat is unable to navigate around trees in the affected villages.

"The conditions are making it difficult for authorities to reach residents and provide them with food," Thoerng said, as heavy rains beat down in the area.

"We will need to evacuate the people in these five affected communes if the rain continues for the next few days."

Sam Soth, 30, a villager in Lbaing I commune, has been waiting for help for two days, he said by phone yesterday. He and his neighbours are running low on food.

"The flood came so fast we did not have time to gather food," Soth said.

Water in his village had reached his neck and killed some of his livestock, Soth told the Post.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has forecast that rain during the next few days will flood eight other provinces.

From today until Sunday, strong showers originating from a storm in Vietnam could flood Kampong Thom, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Ratanakkiri, Siem Reap and Stung Treng, said Lim Kean Hor, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology.

A couple of women could find themselves in the same position as their respective husbands, after the two allegedly tried smuggling explosives into Ratanakkiri Provincial Prison.

Sok Channy and Lay Saloeun were charged in court yesterday with offering a prisoner means to run away after the two allegedly brought a device containing quick-reacting gunpowder concealed in a packet of noodles that they attempted to deliver to their husbands, inmates Chhum Chak and Sim Seng, said Battambang deputy provincial prosecutor Long Hok Meng.

Their foiled attempt occurred when they came in together to visit their husbands in jail on Sunday morning, according to a report of the incident posted on the Ministry of Interior's General Department of Prisons website.

"The on-duty officers checked a package of the visiting women and found out [there was] a wired object inside a package of noodles," the report by Sam Ol Thearith, director of the prison, reada. "Our officer began cutting the package open with a knife and suddenly the package caught fire. The officers put it out and kept the package for further investigation."

Based on initial observations from experts at the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, the package contained a number of elements used in improvised gunpowder, according to the report.

In his report, Ol Thearith said the two women tried to smuggle the explosives with "the intention of causing fear and social unrest".

ANZ Royal Bank has transacted a landmark commodities hedging deal with a local oil importer, officials at the bank said yesterday.

The deal allows the company, whose name ANZ Royal would not disclose, citing confidentiality agreements, to lock in an agreed price for the future sale of the product.

Cambodia imports all of its oil, and companies, not to mention consumers, are susceptible to global price fluctuations.

Should prices fall from the amount defined by the contract, the importer, instead of making less money, is protected and the risk shifts to the bank.

A statement from ANZ Royal said the deal took place on July 31.

"Giving local companies access to these kinds of risk-management tools is a different manifestation of financial inclusion, enabling Cambodians to operate on the same financial playing field as global and regional competitors," said ANZ Royal CEO Grant Knuckey.

Though the deal will allow the oil importer to protect its inventory against falling prices, many details of the contract – its length, the fixed price – remain a secret.

Chea Serey, the deputy director general of banking supervision at the National Bank of Cambodia, said in a joint statement with ANZ Royal that the contract is a positive step forward in the financial sector.

"Suppliers, users and the Cambodian economy will benefit from the introduction of innovative hedging products to Cambodia," she said.

ANZ Royal is the only financial institution the NBC has approved to provide non-exchange-traded hedging contracts, often referred to as over-the-counter derivatives trading.

In 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia cracked down on unlicensed firms trading derivatives. Contacted yesterday, the SECC declined to comment on the progression of derivatives regulations.

The anticipated shopping mall from Malaysia-based retail chain Parkson Holdings Bhd will be a seven-storey building directly opposite the Phnom Penh International Airport, complete with a supermarket, bowling alleys, retail lots, gymnasium, showrooms, karaoke and a swimming pool, according to a statement filed with Malaysia's stock exchange on Friday.

Next to the mall, which is expected to open in June 2017, the company plans to construct a hotel and serviced apartments.

Parkson is entering Phnom Penh's growing mega-mall landscape, joining the Japanese-funded, 68,000-square-metre Aeon mall set to open in mid-2014 on Sothearos Boulevard next to the Sofitel.

Hiroshi Suzuki, CEO and chief economist of the Business Research Institute for Cambodia, said a growing middle class means there's room for a variety of mega malls, none of which has opened its doors yet.

Parkson could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, last week's statement described the project as having "good accessibility with enhanced infrastructure and strategic location", neighbouring international brand car showrooms and industrial parks."

"Phnom Penh … has in recent years been reported to have attracted international retailers such as Aeon and Costa Coffee, Swensons and Kentucky Fried Chicken," the statement said.

Parkson operates 52 department stores in Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, according to its website.

The Institute of Bankers Malaysia (IBBM) launched a training course in Cambodia yesterday aimed at developing standardised skills in the country's rising banking sector.

Tay Kay Luan, chief executive officer of IBBM, said the course, which offers certification in the global Chartered Bankers system, will bring trainees into a network of successful professionals.

"We want to improve and increase the learning outcome of the student," Luan said. "It is important that whatever we teach them, they can apply in the workplace and at the same time can improve the performance of the bank."

IBBM will work with the Cambodian Institute of Banking, a group owned by the Association of Banks in Cambodia, to develop the curriculum. Students have to pass three levels, comprising nine modules.

Modules in the first level cost $250, with prices increasing in the second and final level.

A launch date for classes has not been set.

Comment

Fresh from their 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, it appears to be a case of plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose for Manchester United – "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

However, I fancy that there are reasons to believe that we are at the end of an era for the mighty Lancashire club.

Liverpool dominated the English football scene back in the '70s and '80s, winning four European Cups and eleven top flight league titles. They have one only one European Cup equivalent since, and no Premier League titles.

Arsenal won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during Arsene Wenger's first nine years at the club, but nothing in his next eight. Who would have foreseen that?

I foresee the potentially unforeseeable of Manchester United now also going a few years without trophies, and here are the signs. United have played only two teams so far this season from last season's top seven in the Premier League (Chelsea and Liverpool) and have failed to win either match or score a single goal.

They have played two league games at home so far, and failed to score a single goal in open play in either of them (a penalty and a free kick defeated Crystal Palace).

Chelsea have beaten United the last three times they played them in the 2012-13 season, 1-0 at Old Trafford in the league, 1-0 in the quarter final of the FA Cup and 5-4 after extra time in the Carling Cup.

Manchester City won 2-1 and Spurs won 3-2, both at Old Trafford, last season in the league.

United still won the title, but that was mainly down to their ruthless demolition of the smaller clubs, something that their championship chasing counterparts City and Chelsea failed to manage.

In Europe, there has been a similar decline. Since they were outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League final of 2011, United were dumped into the relative ignominy of the Europa League in 2012 after losing or drawing four of their six group encounters. They were then totally outplayed by Athletic Bilbao in the knock out stages, being beaten home and away by the Spanish side, who themselves could only muster 10th in their own so-called weaker domestic league.

Last season United failed to progress beyond the last 16 of the Champions League.

So the acid test for this theory could well come as early as this weekend when United travel to their neighbours City, who coincidentally have also had a stuttered start.

The difference is City have spent more money than is seen at the blackjack tables of NagaWorld, while United have spent £27.5 million ($43.7 million ) for some bloke with a mullet.

Bob Morton has a first-class degree in Media and is the only person in history to win the Daily Mirror's 'You The Manager' World Cup and Premier League Manager of the Month prizes back to back in July and August of 2010.

Cambodia ended their AFF U19 Championship run in Indonesia on Tuesday with a rousing 3-2 victory over Singapore at the Petrokimia Stadium in Gresik, East Java.

A second-half blitz saw Nub Tola put Cambodia ahead, only for strikes by Singaporeans Muhammad Muhelmy and Muhammad Hazim Faiz to turn the tables.

However, an equaliser by Neth Veasna and an 83rd-minute winner from Nub Tola meant the Kingdom's men returned home from Indonesia third in the five-team Group A with two victories to their name.

East Timor edged the Philippines 2-1 at Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo on Tuesday to finish top of the group and will progress to tomorrow's semi-finals along with second placed Laos.

A 24-year-old traditio­nal healer was charged yesterday by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court with raping a 13-year-old girl in Mondulkiri's Koh Nhek district.

Seng Neng, presiding judge at the court, said Chin Ramo, 24, was charged with "raping a girl under the age" when she visited his house last year. The offence is punishable with five to 10 years' imprisonment.

"He is known by the parents of the victim in Koh Nhek district. He brought the victim to visit his house, and forcibly raped her," the judge said.

The victim's parents filed a complaint against the healer in May.

During his hearing yesterday, Ramo admitted to statutory rape, but said he and the victim were boyfriend and girlfriend and had consensual sex multiple times.

"I accept that I really had sex with her, but I did not force or rape her as accused. She voluntarily had sex with me," he told the court and asked that the charges against him be dropped.

Having consensual sex with a minor under the age of 15 is also illegal in Cambodia, and carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.

Lim Chan Lida, the victim's lawyer, alleges that the healer lured the girl to his house.

"The suspect's activity has strongly damaged my client's honour, so my client has demanded $10,000 compensation, and is asking the court to strongly punish him," she said.

Within the past year, there have been at least four other traditional healers tried in court for rape and sexual abuse.

In May, a 68-year old healer was sent to prison in Battambang for sexually abusing and raping three of his patients.

However, the women's and children's rights director at rights group Adhoc said it is not a common crime compared to other forms of rape.

"Adhoc has seen a few cases each year," said Chuon Chamrong. "Most commonly it happens in very rural areas."

The verdict will be handed down on Wednesday.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LAIGNEE BARRON