PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana has requested the National Assembly to strip two opposition lawmakers of their immunity following a prostitution case involving their deputy leader Kem Sokha.
In a request sent to National Assembly president Samdech Heng Samrin on Thursday and released to the media on Friday, the minister said that Tok Vanchan and Pin Ratana, both are lawmakers from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), have been suspiciously involved in a prostitution case.
"The Ministry of Justice would like to request Samdech President of the National Assembly to check and take next procedures to remove the immunity of lawmakers Tok Vanchan and Pin Ratana," he said.
According to the Kingdom's penal code, the prostitution charge could be imprisoned for between two and five years.
Under the Constitution, a lawmaker may only be prosecuted, arrested or detained with the permission of the National Assembly or by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly between sessions, except in case of flagrant offences.
The legal action against the two lawmakers came after 25-year-old hairdresser Khom Chandaraty, an alleged mistress of CNRP deputy leader Kem Sokha, admitted to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in April that the two lawmakers had arranged two trips for her to have sex with Kem Sokha in Bangkok in November last year and February this year.
Khom Chandaraty, better known by her nickname Srey Mom, also sued Kem Sokha for a compensation of 300,000 U.S. dollars. She accused Kem Sokha of breaking his promise to give her 3,000 U.S. dollars, to buy her a house and to open her a shop in exchange for sex.
The alleged sex scandal between Srey Mom and Kem Sokha came to light in February when leaked audio clips of telephone conversation between them went viral on the Internet. In the clips, they discussed sex, pregnancy and paying for an apartment.
Since the scandal broke out, Kem Sokha has not publicly commented on the veracity of the audio recordings.
