Defence wants Meas Muth on stand

Bridget Di Certo
Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 17 February 2012

Khmer Rouge Navy commander Meas Muth, an alleged suspect in government-opposed Case 003, is on a list compiled by the Khmer Rouge tribunal Trial Chamber as a witness who can address the communication and administrative structures of the Khmer Rouge.

Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Former Khmer Rouge navy commander Meas Muth speaks to the Post in 2009.

Accused regime leader Nuon Chea’s defence counsel yesterday requested that Meas Muth be summoned to present oral testimony in the courtroom.

“Where witness statements go to the acts or conduct of the accused or pivotal issues in the case, the makers of those statements, where available, should be present in the court room,” defence counsel Andrew Ianuzzi said.

“Meas Muth, as we all know now, is a suspect in case three … is a witness on the list to communications structure.”

The parties yesterday were debating the reliability or authenticity of a list of documents compiled by the Trial Chamber that are relevant to the administrative structure of the Khmer Rouge and demonstrate that there was a communication chain leading straight to the elderly trio of accused war criminals on trial.

Ianuzzi also named several other controversial witnesses Nuon Chea wishes to see summoned for questioning.

These include Senate president Chea Sim, National Assembly president Heng Samrin and ruling Cambodian People’s Party senators Ouk Buncchoeun and Sim Ka.

“Mr Henry Kissinger is travelling in the region in the next few months, his testimony would be quite relevant to the unclosed historical segment of the trial, and we would very much support his appearance here,” Ianuzzi said.

Nuon Chea wants the court to look at the involvement – and culpability – of the American B52 bombing of Cambodia in the historical context of the rise to power of the Khmer Rouge.

Former Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Ieng Sary’s legal counsel Michael Karnavas raised a series of issues with the document list, including documents composed by former staff members of the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges, including materials composed by historian Steve Heder.

Ex-president Khieu Samphan’s legal counsel Kong Sam Onn said his client raised objection to the reliability of documents coming from the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, an organization he branded as “looking for inculpatory evidence against the accused persons”.

Prosecutors and Civil Party lawyers disputed the merit of these defence objections.

Court is now in recess until March 12.