The Phnom Penh municipal court charged and
sentenced a woman to prison on September 18 for defrauding a man of $220,000
through the sale of 50 hectares of land in Preah Sihanouk province last year.
Lieutentant Colonel Maing Sokluch, the deputy
commander of Phnom Penh military police, identified the woman as Lim Sareth,
56, a land broker living in Trea village, in Stung Meanchey II commune, in
Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district.
He identified the victim as Kob Sam An, 59, a
real estate agent living in Buon commune, in Preah Sihanouk province.
He said that Sareth was charged with “fraud”
under Articles 377 and 378 of the Criminal Code and faces up to three years in
prison if convicted.
He added that Sareth was arrested on September
16, and is now awaiting her pre-trial in prison. Lt Col Sokluch noted that on September 12,
2019, Sareth had sold 50 hectares of land located in Ream commune, in Prey Nob
district, in Preah Sihanouk province to the victim for $300,000.
He said that in order to purchase this land,
Sareth had required the victim to deposit $220,000 in advance so that she could
prepare the land title as well as other related documents for him.
He went on to say that at that time, Sareth had
promised that the documents would be delivered to the victim within a period of
45 days, after having received the $220,000 deposit.
However on the day of this deadline, he said
that Sareth was unable to produce the land documents for the victim as
promised, because the land that she had sold did not belong to her, and was in
fact part of a state-protected-area.
He added that afterwards the victim demanded
the return of his deposit, but that until this day he has not been refunded.
In order to reclaim his financial loss the
victim later lodged a lawsuit in court against her on March 17, 2020.
Sareth was later arrested on September 16 at
her home in Phnom Penh in accordance with the victim’s complaint.
