Cambodian genocide tribunal faces allegations

[Coventina]

Source: Washington Post

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's genocide tribunal has been hit by new corruption allegations, compelling foreign donors to withhold more than $300,000 from the proceedings pending a review of the claims, officials said Wednesday.

The new scandal came as the U.N.-assisted tribunal prepared for its first trial, next month, for atrocities allegedly committed during the 1975-79 rule of the Khmer Rouge, who are blamed for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution.

Cambodian and U.N.-appointed staff jointly run the tribunal with two separate budget lines supported by contributions from international donors.

In a Wednesday statement to The Associated Press, the United Nations Development Program said it was withholding funding for operating expenses and salaries for Cambodian staffers at the tribunal. It did not provide an amount.

It said new kickback allegations surfaced in late June, but provided no other details.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080601440.html

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This is very bad. These trials are very important, and if they are tainted by corruption it will be a severe blow to international justice.