Cambodia Diplomat’s Fraudulent Activities in South Korea

Cambodia’s ambassador to South Korea has been charged in Cambodia with a string of corruption offences.

The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) alleged Suth Dina had amassed $7.2m in cash, $3m more than when he began his tenure in Seoul in 2014.

They allege he made more than $100,000 (£72,000) selling visas and kept insurance payouts meant for Cambodian workers who died in South Korea.

Mr Dina denies the charges, which carry a possible sentence of 15 years.

He told reporters outside court on Thursday that his arrest on Monday was “unjust”.

At a news conference in Phnom Penh, ACU head Om Yentieng said investigations into his finances had also uncovered 500 pieces of jewellery and 12.7 kg of gold, worth around $500,000.

He is also accused of misusing large amounts of official funds.

“We have a lot of evidence. Primarily that he embezzled money worth $116,995 by selling visa stickers,” Om Yentieng told reporters.

Suth Dina is a former anti-government student activist who defected to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party in 2009. He was made ambassador to Seoul in February 2014.