Primary School Teacher Guilty Of $140k Tontine Scam
Phnom Penh: On the morning of August 3, 2021, the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court was announced in the case of a primary school teacher who embezzled more than $ 140,000. The accused, named Chhun Tharineth, a 39-year-old female teacher at a primary school in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district was given 18 months imprisonment for 18 months and required to repay the plaintiffs their respective full amounts. The verdict leaves the right to appeal if either party is dissatisfied with the case. .
On the afternoon of July 20, 2021, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court opened the criminal case involving the primary school teacher, after one victim made a complaint of forgery of private documents and fraud, and postponed the verdict to August 3, 2021.
According to the complaint, on December 15, 2016, Chhun Thavineth brought members to play tontine, with 67 members paying several hundred US Dollars a month for a number of ‘strings’.
As Chhun Tharineth was a good teacher, all the plaintiff teachers decided to play, and as other players dropped out, the defendant falsified letters with fake names to draw in more cash. 24 plaintiffs lost a total of $142,009 US dollars over the course of the next few years.
After the above-mentioned complaint, the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Interior summoned the teacher for questioning on September 23, 2020. After a first hearing, the investigating judge then issued a detention order to remand the suspect in Prey Sar (Correctional Education Center M2) until the day of this hearing. KSP
