Cambodia's co-ruling Funcinpec Party has filed a lawsuit to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to accuse its recently ousted president Prince Norodom Ranariddh of embezzling the 3.6 million U.S. dollars as payment for the sale of the party headquarters' property, party spokesman Nouv Sovathero told reporters here on Friday.

In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the party also asked for 1 million U.S. dollars as compensation from the prince, said Nouv Sovathero.

"While he was at the party's helm, he sold the party's property (in Nov. 2005) without asking anyone, even though most members disagreed. We have checked the party's bank account and did not see any money at all. Therefore, we believe that the prince kept all the money for his own pocket," said the spokesman.

The court has confirmed its acceptance of the lawsuit.

In addition, the Cambodian Daily on Friday quoted Funcinpec Secretary General Nhiek Bun Chhay as saying that "the money ( Ranariddh) received from selling the party's headquarters, the prince used for his own benefits, and he didn't deposit it in Funcinpec's bank account."

Meanwhile, Ranariddh's public affairs adviser Ok Socheat dismissed the accusation, saying that "(the prince) didn't keep ( the money) for himself. He used it for the party. The prince was president at that time. He could make any decision."

Ranariddh was removed as party head in October during a special assembly meeting. The delegates thought him illegible for the post as he stayed overseas for too long to manage party affairs and could not establish good ties with Prime Minister Hun Sen to co- run the government.

The prince has not returned to Cambodia yet. He refused to admit the legitimacy of the assembly meeting and vowed to establish a new party to compete in the general election in 2008.

Source: Xinhua