PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Interior, Sar Kheng, has stated in a letter to the Prime Minister Hun Sen that the members of the National Heart Party have fabricated the fingerprints of the list of members with malicious intent. According to the Ministry’s investigation, the group intentionally faked the fingerprints to increase the number of their members. This has pushed the Minister to sue the party founder's representatives and to reject their party proposal.

The Ministry has revealed that in 4,781 fingerprints sent to the Ministry of Interior by the National Heart Party, it found out that there were fingerprints different from the identities of 20 people. It says that 20 fingerprints printed in the names of 54 others, 74 fake fingerprints, while 28 fingerprints could not be verified and five people had their fingerprints stamped on the names of 21 people.

Due to the irregularities, the Ministry of Interior decided to reject the application to register and sue the party's founding representative in court for legal action. In addition, the Ministry also decided to search for individuals that who faked the fingerprints.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior Khieu Sopheak has spoken to EAC News saying, “We are preparing a complaint to courts. What we found was that - there are some fingerprints, one person prints for five name or more.”

Representative of the founding member of the National Heart Party, Seam Pluk, has told EAC News that he was not concerned about the Ministry of Interior's move as he was ready to come forward to respond on the ministry's findings. He also said that he was unaware of the forgery of fingerprints submitted to the Ministry of Interior.

Seam Pluk says, “Because of the thumbprints of my supporters - how do I know if it is true or not?" It is the expertise of the Ministry of Interior to check which fingerprints are correct or incorrect and to return them to be in accordance with the conditions. If there are any deficiencies, I will fill them in. If that is not enough, ask me to fill it out. I have submitted more than 4,600 pieces, and even if two or three hundred are damaged, I believe I am not at fault.”

The National Heart Party is a new party of members that split from the former CNRP. It has been leaked that the party has received support from Sam Rainsy and his party formed to run in the upcoming election, while the party's founding representative has rejected it.