The family of former tycoon Heng Sithy—who previously made a series of explosive corruption allegations against senior government officials and ruling party families—has denied all charges against him and is urging authorities to drop the case following his detention at Prey Sar Prison on May 25.
Sithy arrived in Cambodia on the night of May 24 after being arrested at the Russian border on January 13. His arrest came after Cambodian authorities alerted INTERPOL, which issued a red notice requesting member countries to locate and apprehend him for extradition.
On May 25, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a detention warrant and charged him with “blackmail” under Articles 372 and 374 of the Criminal Code. He is being held at Prey Sar Prison pending legal proceedings.
Chong Sovanny, Sithy’s father, who resigned from his position as Secretary of State of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation in January, declined to provide details to CamboJA News but maintained his son’s innocence of the alleged crimes. He urged the government to render him justice and drop the charges against him.
Justice Ministry spokesperson Seng Dyna told CamboJA News that the case is currently in court, pointing out that the charges stem from a crime allegedly committed by Sithy in Cambodia in November 2024.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesperson Y Rin did not respond.
The controversial revelations by Sithy, a former real estate developer, began on November 22, 2024, when he publicly accused Singaporean national Phua Gek Seng, who also holds Cambodian citizenship, of “operating the largest online casino network in Cambodia” and “engaging in money laundering”.
Shortly after, Phua, also known by his nickname “Tak”, filed a defamation and extortion lawsuit against him.
According to the lawsuit, Sithy allegedly sent a text message to Phua on November 18, demanding $2 million in exchange for not posting details of Phua’s alleged involvement in illegal casino operations and financial crimes.
Following the lawsuit, Sithy went ahead and made further allegations targeting senior government officials.
He accused high-ranking figures, including Kandal provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun, National Police Commissioner General Sar Thet, Interior Minister Sar Sokha, and Phnom Penh Police Chief Chuon Narin, of misconduct and corruption. Cambodian authorities have denied all the allegations.
Am Sam Ath, operations director of rights group LICADHO, said Sithy’s case has drawn national and international attention due to his social media posts alleging corruption among government officials.
While he acknowledged ongoing investigation into the charges and Sithy’s detention, Sam Ath emphasized the need for authorities to also examine Sithy’s corruption claims to ensure transparency and fairness.
“This case is being scrutinized by national and international [groups],” he said. “I urge authorities to investigate not only the allegation against Heng Sithy but also the claims he made, to ensure transparency and justice for both sides.”
