Former Okhna Heng Sithy, who has levelled accusations of corruption and complicity in online scam operations at senior members of the Cambodian government, has been extradited from Russia to face charges of “aggravated blackmail”. He arrived in the Kingdom last night, May 24.

Chhay Kim Khoeun, spokesperson for the National Police, was quoted by local media outlet Fresh News as saying that Sithy was extradited under an agreement between the Cambodian and Russian governments, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the investigating judge of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for “aggravated blackmail” committed in Cambodia in November 2024.

He was arrested in Russia on January 13, following a request from to INTERPOL from Cambodia.

Kim Khoeun said Sithy is currently under the jurisdiction of the court for further legal proceedings. His charges carry a possible prison sentence of from five to ten years.

Sithy, who once managed the Maritime Group, which included a resort and a bank, has publicly claimed that Sar Sokha, Minister of Interior, Hun To, a prominent Okhna, and Sar Thet, Commissioner-General of the National Police, actively protect online criminals in Cambodia.

His allegations have been repeatedly refuted by the interior ministry, the national police and Hun To, who deemed them “fabricated information with malicious intent aimed at misleading the public”.