An attorney for Prime Minister Hun Sen submitted a request to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday demanding opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua pay $2,000 she owes the premier for defamation.
The request was a sign the prime minister will not relent on the compensation, which is part of a $4,500 court-ordered fine upheld by the Supreme Court this month. The court must now officially inform Mu Sochua of a time limit for the compensation, officials said.
Mu Sochua told VOA Khmer she has no intention of paying the fine, which stems from a pair of defamation suits brought by each party last year.
“I have been persistent in my stance in not paying the $4,500 fine, ordered by a court that did not provide justice to me,” she said. “I cannot withdraw my stance. I am a victim. Why must I pay a fine?”