Friday, 25 February 2011

Sentence passed on RCAF imposter


via CAAI

Friday, 25 February 2011 15:03 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

A construction company owner was sentenced yesterday to a two-year prison term and fined 5 million riels in Phnom Penh Municipal Court for using a fake Royal Cambodian Armed Forces rank and military uniform to promote his business.

Tho Chiva, 49, owner of the Moham Sal Construction Company, was charged with falsely using the rank of major in the Ministry of National Defense in 2002, according to Duch Kimsorn, presiding judge of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

He added that Tho Chiva was charged following a complaint from Touch Bora, 45, an engineer and colleague, who sued him after he claimed that Tho Chiva threatened to kill him over a personal dispute in 2009.

“Tho Chiva is a construction businessman but he has used a fake RCAF military position and the rank of major for doing his own business activities,” Duch Kimsorn said.

“He has also used his fake military position in threatening to murder Touch Bora who got in an argument with him. Therefore, the court decided to sentence him to two years’ imprisonment and fined him 5 million riels (US$1,237),” Duch Kimsorn said.

He added that the court will continue to investigate a military general who allegedly sold the fake rank to him in order to bring him to justice.

Tho Chiva was not present at the sentencing yesterday but in a January hearing denied all charges against him and claimed he did not know his rank was not genuine and that he never received military payment.

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