A soldier was arrested on Monday by national and Kampong Speu provincial Military Police for using “fake” Royal Cambodian Armed Forces licence plates, allegedly as part of an illegal timber hauling operation.
An arrest warrant signed by Phnom Penh Municipal Court Prosecutor Ngin Pich dated January 26 orders Yim Sokan, a 1st Lieutenant in RCAF's Tank Unit, to appear at the Information and Security Bureau of the National Military Police before February 23 for questioning over the use of the fake licence plates.
According to a statement posted on the Kampong Speu Military Police Facebook page, authorities carried out Sokan’s arrest on Monday morning in Phnom Sruoch district’s Kiri Voan commune. Chou Sarun, provincial Military Police chief, could not be reached for comment.
Chea Hean, director of the Natural Resources Wildlife Preservation Organization, which monitors the area, claimed that Sokan had bought the vehicles from his unit and used the RCAF licence plates to facilitate his illegal logging and transport business.
Hean claimed Sokan had been operating his business since 2008 without intervention by authorities because he had connections with several officials.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ly Sophanna and National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy couldn’t be reached for comment.
