1175 Lon No-1'S Brother Invests

, 1175 Lon No-1's Brother Invests ..By Elizabeth Becker United States. Here, he set up 000 in 15 months to conduct Washington Post Staff Writer an import-export company in $2,000 worth of business. Brig. Gen. Lon Non, brother Maryland, bought two homes Another asset is $170,000 of former Cambodian head of in Silver Spring, and depos- that Madame Lon Non says state Lon Nol and a man who she brought into this country. earned the equivalent of about ited in bank accounts possibly in 1973 from her husband's $200 a month, brought hun- "hundreds of thousands of dol- bank account in Paris. She dreds of thousands of dollars lars, according to his wife and said she almost lost that into the United States while associates. money, hOViever, when French he was here in 1973 and 1974 While touring the United authorities at Orly Airport im- as an unpaid roving ambassa- States as the roving ambassa- pounded a stuffed toy dog car- dor, according to his wife and dor, Lon Non was taken to ried by one the couple's child- associates. various military installations ren and found the cash inside. Both his wife, who now lives throughout the country, es- The money was returned to in Silver Spring, and his asso- corted by American officials. Madame Lon Non "one or two ciates say they do not know One American diplomat who months later" and she said she the origin of the money. But turned it all over to her hus- in diplomatic circles and was put on the Lon Non detail among government officials of described his work as "baby- band in, the United States. She the former regime, Lon Non sitting" in order to •keep the refused to say why she had was considered to be corrupt. general out of trouble. hidden the cash in the stuffed He chose to remain in Cambo- Another official said that toy. dia when the old regime fell the U.S. government had no There are also understood this spring, and his fate is not knowledge of the business to be two bank accounts: one known. ventures of Lon Non, but he in the Riggs National Bank for Although he held the posi remembered that the general Lon Non's personal funds, an- tion of brigadier general and had been advised to hire a other in the Maryland Na-. was head of Cambodia's Third lawyer in ease he did go into tional Bank for Lon Non's cor- Army Division, for which he business. porate funds. Together, the ac- earned about $100 a month, Lon.Non returned to Cam- counts contain possibly and also held occasional cabi- bodia in 1974, apparently strip- "hundreds of thousands of do1-1 net positions with about the ped of his former powers, ac- lars," according to those close same salary, his major influ- cording to his associates. Un- to Lon Non. ence came from his acknowl- like his brother, Marshal Lon By late 1973, the General edged title as "petit frere." Nol, he chose to remain in had gathered his three advis- That meant the "little Phnom Penh last April during ers and his family in Silver brother" of Marshal Lon Nol, the final hours of defeat and Spring, dubbing the group the with all the powers that im- his wife said she now consid "Etat Major". plied. ers him "lost." His business adviser was Born of humble origins, Lon In separate interviews last Peang Meth GaFour whose Nom ascended from the rank week, Madame Lon Non and brother Peang Meth Gaffar, of a junior army officer in her husband's three Cambo- the press attache to the Wash- 1970 to a position of report- ington embassy of the former edly unlimited power as his dian adivsers in the United States described an intricate, Cambodian government, was brother's unofficial adviser the general's political advisor. through most of the Cambo- semi official system that the general established here to Col. Tan Suor, a member of dian War. the general's Third Division, But because of his free- conduct his affairs. Often disa- wheeling political style and greeing on pertinent aspects was given the title of military the enemies he made, Lon of the general's financial deal- adyiser. All were retained by Non was pressured by the ings, members of the group the general but they refused American Embassy to leave separately confirmed the to divulge their salaries. 'Cambodia on April 30, 1973. value of his assets. Last week, Madame Lon He was given by his govern- These assets include a cor Non, Peang Gaffar and Col. ment the title of roving am-, poration worth at least Tan Suor agreed to be inter- bassador and came to the $130,000, which expended $60,- viewed together in her split- level home in Silver Spring. Large Sums in "We lost money, we didn't make money," Peang Gafour said in his Silver Spring home, which is owned by Lon Non. When asked who invested in the corporation, Peang Gafour said it was Lon Non's money but he did not know how Lon Non obtained such a large sum. "I'd like t6 know that, too ... there were many specula- tions," he said, laughing at the word "speculation." Lon . Non reportedly am- massed some $7 million during the Cambodian war years, when his country's budget be- caine more and more depend- PEANG METH GAFFAR LON NON ent on American aid, accord- ... political adviser ... considered "lost" ing to a 1974 Washington Post story. The figure of $7 million came up repeatedly during a Dressed in traditional Cambo- has full control of the corpora-• doien interviews with top dian attire, Madame Lon Non tion and all of its assets under Cambodian officers, foreign answered questions with the a private contractual agree- and local business people, for- aid of an interpreter but often ment. eign diplomats and Cambo- relied on Peang Gaffar for An import-export firm li- dian politicians. business details. censed in Maryland in 1974, Those interviewed said they "Because my husband was S.A.K. was' established were convinced the American here before, I, don't worry to trade, manufacture, and embassy knew that Lon Non about money," she said. "Yes, sell goods, to buy real estate, was accomplished in the art of I still have control of the to borrow or raise money, and kickbacks, and selling valua- money." to do "all and anything neces- ble American aid, ammunition Absent from this group was sary . in the accomplish- and medicine through the business adviser Peang Gafour ment of the purposes of the black market to the then-Cam- who was interviewed later. A corporation," according to the bodian rebels, and also in student who was brought over bylaws of S.A.K. hoarding rice , to sell on the from Tokyo by the keneral, During the 15 months that black market when prices rose Peang Gafour entered into a he managed SA.K., Peang Ga- because of government losses partnership with Lon Non ,to four said he imported, only $2,. on the battlefield. head a corporation named the 000 worth of brass trinkets After her arrival in the U.S. Societe Americano Khmer, from Phnom Penh. He put last April, one week before Ltd. (S.A.K.) Peang Gafour is these goods in boutiques the old government was de- the only name on all the pub- around the Washington metro- feated, Madame Lon Non de- lic records of the corporation politan area but none have cided to liquidate the corpora- and he is listed as the presi- been purchased, he said tion, sell the home that. Peang dent, the chairman of the During the same time, Ga- Gafour lives in, and end the board of directors and the four said he spent $60,000 for official business association only listed member of the marketing research, lawyer's between herself and Peang board and the sole agent, for fees, his own salary of $600 a Gafour, according to Peang the firm. month, and other, operating Gafour who said he is now Peang Gafour said Lon Non costs. looking for a house and a job. THE WASHINGTON POST Monday, June 0,1075 A Silver S 'ring When asked to estimate the had been allowed to rule. At worth of S.A.K., Ltd., whether the end of the interview, she it would be in the thousands and Peang Gaffar and Col. Ian or the hundreds of thousand Suor produced the last cable Madame Lon Non said: they had received from the "Yes, I do know that the general, two days before corporation is worth hundreds Phnom Penh's surrender. of thousands of dollars." "The situation is well under In the separate interview, control," he had cabled. "The Peang Gafour disagreed with people are prepared to make her estimate and said that the the supreme sacrifice in the corporation was worth only defense of liberty. :cable me $130,000. at this exact address. .good When he was asked where year to all, Lon Non." the "hundreds of thousands" might be, Peang Gafour answered that Lon Non had de- posited his personal funds in the Riggs National Bank in the District of Columbia. Mad- ame Lon Non claimed to have no knowledge of such an account. Peang Gaffar, the brother of the business adviser and the press attache to the embassy, is now acting as Madame Lon Non's official spokesman. He said all the •business affairs will be handed over to Mad- ame Lon Non at the end of this month.

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