ECCC Cambodian Judges Threaten Legal Action in Response to the Possibility of Mass Papering

Press Release
The National Judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia deeply regret
hearing the new reports today that co-lawyers Mr. Michiel PESTMAN and Mr.Victor KOPPE
and Mr. Andrew IANUZZI have filed a complaint with the Municipal Court of Phnom Penh
charging corruption within the ECCC, which states that this may infringe the fundamental
right to fair trial and that a portion of national judges’ salaries are used as kickbacks to
government official/s.
The above-mentioned action was leaked to the public media, causing confusion and seriously
affecting the honour and dignity of all individual judges and this institution as a whole. We
would like to state that all the judges of this Court entered into service by decision of the
Supreme Council of Magistracy, chaired by His Majesty the King of the Cambodia, who
signed Royal Decree No. NS/RKT/0506/214 dated 7 May 2006, appointing all of us to work
in this Court. Therefore, there is no reason for judges to cut their salaries to pay kickbacks to
government officials, as alleged. We absolutely reject such an accusation.
Finally, we would like to state that if the above accusation stems from bad faith in putting the
blame on the judges, we reserve the right to legal recourse against any individuals who have
provoked such a problem.