PHNOM PENH (Nov. 1) – A Cambodian charity threatened
Wednesday to sue actress Angelina Jolie for breach of contract,
saying the Hollywood star had reneged on a promise to give $1.5
million over five years to wildlife conservation.
However, Stephan Bognar, the Cambodia-based head of the
star’s Maddox Jolie Pitt Project, said the relationship with
Cambodian Vision in Development (CVD) had ended amicably in
December because their aid work was "moving on to a new level."
"Angelina and I will be unveiling our new program and
commitment to Cambodia in about a month," Bognar told Reuters
from the western town of Battambang.
Much of the organization’s work would center around
community development, rather than wildlife conservation, he
said.
Besides accusing Jolie of breaking funding promises, CVD
head Mounh Sarath said his organization had taken exception to
reported suggestions from Jolie’s lawyer that CVD had
misappropriated some of her donations and was considering a
libel action.
"I have been asking Jolie and her lawyer to give me an
appropriate answer, but so far no answer," Mounh Sarath told
Reuters from Battambang.
"Now I give her one week and if there is still no answer I
will a file suit in the local court of Battambang."
The Oscar-winning actress, who adopted a Cambodian son,
Maddox, in 2002, was granted special citizenship of the
war-scarred southeast Asian nation last year in recognition of
her environmental contributions.
In 2003, Mounh Sarath said Jolie had paid out $350,000 to
kick off a long-term project to set up a 20,000 hectare (50,000
acre) wildlife sanctuary in a jungle-clad area once controlled
by Pol Pot’s ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge.
It is not clear how much more money was paid out.
