A mother of one of the detainees holds up a picture of them in prison. Bernama File Photo
SIEM REAP, Cambodia: A spokesperson for the Provincial Court here said today that the 47 Malaysians, who are being detained over alleged involvement in illegal online gambling, will be called for one-on-one enquiries by the judge, according to a report by the Khmer Times in Cambodia.
The report quoted the spokesperson as saying that the judge was preparing to question the detainees.
“The judge is preparing the case and will lay out the findings in detail from the investigation. We can’t reveal more because the case is still under investigation,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson stated that the detainees will be questioned one by one with the assistance of interpreters.
“They were accused of being involved in illegal online gambling activities.”
The spokesperson said that the court has not yet determined the date of the trial.
“Will they be released? It’s hard for me to say.”
In addition, the report also quoted a spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Justice as saying that the Malaysian Embassy officially sent a letter, requesting the Cambodian government to intervene in the matter that had been referred to the court for the next course of action.
The spokesperson said the ministry could not interfere in the internal affairs of the court, but would submit the letter from the embassy to the court and examine it according to the current laws and procedures.
According to the indictment of the Cambodian police, the 47 Malaysians were arrested along with eight other mainland Chinese nationals and then sent to the police station in accordance with legal procedures.
The arrest was made in line with the group having been allegedly involved in illegal online gambling activities.
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