Ranariddh gets 30-yr jail term

SINGAPORE, MARCH 18: A Cambodian military court today sentenced ousted co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh to 30 years in prison after findi...

SINGAPORE, MARCH 18: A Cambodian military court today sentenced ousted co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty in absentia of colluding with the outlawed Khmer Rouge to overthrow the government.

Three co-defendants, including one who is now dead, were sentenced to 20 years in prison each. But Ranariddh reacted angrily to his conviction and rejected the verdict outright.“The Prince and his cabinet reject this verdict,” close aide Kong Vibol said in Bangkok. “The court is clearly not independent and this is disgusting.”

Besides handing down the jail imprisonment, the court also ordered them to pay millions of dollars in compensation to the government and victims of the war in Phnom Penh that effectively ousted the Prince last year. The Prince was on trial in absentia for the second time in two weeks following a March 4 hearing in which he was charged with illegally importing weapons and sentenced to five years in prison, Kyodo said.

The prince has notreturned to Cambodia ever since last year’s coup by second premier Hun Sen. In addition to the jail terms, the four men were ordered to pay more than 54 million dollars in compensation to the government and victims of the July 5-6 fighting in Phnom Penh that effectively ousted the Prince. All their property was ordered confiscated or sold at auction to pay the compensation.