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Graham Cleghorn….victim
of injustice in |
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Reports > 2006 |
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Australian authorities are to investigate
a Cambodian women's group that New Zealander Graham Cleghorn says framed him
for rape. Cleghorn, 59, is two years into a
20-year sentence in He says he was framed by a
non-government organisation, the Cambodian Women's Crisis Centre, that is
seeking a share of millions of dollars in foreign funding being poured into Cleghorn maintains his five
accusers were offered up to US$10,000 ($16,000) by the CWCC to falsely
testify he molested them. The CWCC denies this and has described Cleghorn's
claims as "laughable". The investigation was ordered
after Australian teacher Clint Betteridge, who was found guilty of raping
Cambodian girls in 2003, was released from a He fled to Australian Justice Minister Chris
Ellison told the Australian newspaper: "The girls in this case had
recanted their allegations... and we could not secure assurances from the
Cambodians that Betteridge be allowed a retrial and given an opportunity to
offer a defence." He said he had asked his
department to investigate the women's crisis centre to see if it received
funding from Earlier this year, Cleghorn won
the right to a second appeal against his convictions after he successfully
argued that he was not represented at the first in January.
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