In Kampot alone, complaints against arrested oknha Hy Kimhong’s Piphup Deimeas land investment have exceeded 1,100 people over a loss of more than $21 million, with victims now coming forward from at least five other provinces, according to police.

Hy Kimhong was arrested on Monday, August 7 in Phnom Penh alongside 13 bodyguards who allegedly blocked authorities and used violence against them. The oknha — who received his honorific in October last year — has been charged with fraud and his bodyguards with aggravated intentional violence.

On Thursday, Kampot Provincial Police posted on Facebook that it had received a total of 1,105 complaints from residents against Piphup Deimeas so far alleging a loss of $21.1 million.

The company had promised returns based on an investment in Kampong Speu land, but disquiet emerged when it began to miss scheduled payouts to investors.

National Police also issued a statement on Tuesday saying that on the day after Hy Kimhong’s arrest, around 100 families from Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kandal and Pursat came forward to also file complaints against the company over losing thousands of dollars each in the alleged fraud.

The Commerce Ministry lists Hy Kimhong, with an address in Pur Senchey, as director of the Piphup Deimeas Group as well as AMZ Microfinance Institution and five other companies.