Prince Norodom Ranariddh's Adultery Charge

When Princess Marie, the former wife of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, filed a complaint with the court regarding her ex-husband’s infidelity in December 2006, he would become the first person charged with Cambodia’s Monogamy Law. And if he were found guilty, he would face a custodial sentence.

A former prime minister, Ranariddh was the leader of FUNCINPEC, one of Cambodia’s political parties. He was also a man with powerful enemies. Some Cambodian activists believe this adultery law was passed solely with prosecuting the prince in mind. Of course, this wasn’t the first scandal Ranariddh had faced. In November 2006, FUNCINPEC’s secretary-general, Nhiek Bun Chhay, filed a lawsuit against Ranariddh, accusing him of selling the party’s headquarters and pocketing the resulting $3.6 million from the sale.