Angelina Reneges On Pledge
October 31, 2006 by staralicious
Filed under Angelina Jolie
Hot on the heels of Brad’s reported PR stunt comes news that Angelina Jolie has reneged on a pledge to provide aid to a Cambodian conservation project.
In 2003, Cambodia approved a forest conservation project funded by Jolie, for which she promised up to $1.5 million for community-based work over five years in remote areas of northwestern Cambodia.
The project was to be implemented in partnership with the Cambodian non-profit group Cambodian Vision in Development, or CVD.
The group’s director, Mounh Sarath, on Monday accused the Hollywood actress of cheating after she stopped providing money to his group without explanation.
But Sam Borana, Jolie’s attorney in Cambodia, said she was merely exercising her right to oversee the work, and was establishing a separate organization in Cambodia to which she would provide the funds.
The money for Jolie’s project  dubbed the “Maddox Jolie Project” in honor of the son she adopted from Cambodia  is to create programs for villagers dwelling in the forest, so they can rely less on logging to make a living.
“I am accusing her of violating the agreement under which she agreed to provide funds to CVD,” Mounh Sarath said. “The more than $1 million she has promised has never arrived.”
He said Jolie cut off funding and ended cooperation with his group in December last year without explanation. He and his staff have also been barred from using the project’s facilities, which Jolie’s lawyers have claimed is her private property, he said.
He said Jolie’s action was unfair since he helped arrange for her to be honored for her aid by being awarded Cambodian citizenship last year.
Jolie’s lawyer, Sam Borana, confirmed that that the actress has stopped providing funds to CVD, and said the project will become an independent non-governmental organization.
He said the controversy was the result of a misunderstanding on the part of Mounh Sarath.
“This is not about violation of the agreement. Ms Angelina Jolie just exercised her right to decide to stop giving the money,” he said.
It seems the gloss may be starting to come off Hollywoods glamour couple.
[tags]angelina jolie, cambodia, renege on pledge[/tags]
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