VZCZCXRO9932
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0933 3520726
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180726Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1468
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000933 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KTIP KJUS CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN COURT PROSECUTES BOYAJIAN BROKER FOR 
TRAFFICKING 
 
REF: PHNOM PENH 707 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The Phnom Penh Municipal Court December 17 
concluded the trial of Ho Nguy on charges of trafficking and 
conspiracy to traffick underage girls to have sex with 
foreign clients. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Municipal-level anti-human trafficking police 
initially arrested the 26-year old Nguy in February 2009 when 
an investigation into American pedophile Ronald Boyajian 
uncovered Nguy's role as a broker.  Nguy allegedly brought 
multiple girls to Boyajian's hotel room, where the American 
abused and forced the girls into sex acts.  Nguy was briefly 
released by the municipal police, but quickly re-arrested 
after senior officers in the Anti-Human Trafficking and 
Juvenile Protection Police (AHTJP) Department intervened. 
Nguy has been in pre-trial detention since the second arrest. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  According to one 16-year-old victim's testimony at 
the trial, Nguy allegedly lured her from her family home in 
Svay Pak district outside Phnom Penh using promises of work, 
but instead delivered her to Boyajian.  Boyajian was one of 
three Americans returned to the United States in August to 
stand trial on charges under the PROTECT ACT as part of the 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office's Operation 
Twisted Traveller.  The victim testified that Nguy sexually 
abused her and other girls directly, in addition to 
trafficking them to foreign clients.  A 9-year-old girl also 
testified to being transported to Phnom Penh by Nguy and then 
abused by Boyajian. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) A court observer from International Justice Mission 
(IJM) stated that the testimony of both girls was strong. 
The IJM worker, with knowledge of the case file, said the 
prosecution's evidence also included statements by Svay Pak 
residents that Nguy's primary source of income was brokering 
girls, photographs of Nguy with the victims, and photographs 
of him accepting money from clients.  Local media reported 
that Nguy admitted engaging in the activities and quoted him 
saying "I really didn't know this business was against the 
law."  Nguy's defense attorney claimed the charges were 
"unjust" because Boyajian was not available to shed light on 
the case.  But the IJM observer said judge Chan Madina 
appeared to have little tolerance for that argument.  A 
verdict is expected on December 25; if convicted, Nguy faces 
up to 15 years in prison. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT:  During his September visit to Post, which 
came on the heels of Operation Twisted Traveller, G/TIP 
Ambassador CdeBaca spoke frequently of the need for Cambodian 
authorities to match the cooperation on arresting and 
returning the Americans with arrests and prosecutions of 
Cambodian middle-men who facilitated the abuse (reftel).  The 
trial of Ho Nguy demonstrates the critical follow-through 
Ambassador CdeBaca called for, and the increasing ability of 
law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute 
trafficking cases in addition to child sex tourism cases. 
END COMMENT. 
LAWLESS