In January 1958, Sam Sary was appointed by Norodom Sihanouk as Cambodia's ambassador to London, thus extricating him from a scandal involving smuggling of large quantities of high grade Cambodian pepper. According to "Time" magazine, he brought an entourage of four woman who were his official wife, with their five children, including Sam Rainsy and three mistresses. Six months later, Sam Sary was involved in another scandal when one of his female servants—Iv Eng Seng, who bore him a child—went to the London police, accusing him of severely beating her for "minor mistakes". By other accounts, her name was Soeung Son Maly and she used to date Saloth Sar (Pol Pot), later dumping him for more prosperous Sam Sary. Sam Sary was recalled to Phnom Penh, but not before he had put his side of the story to the British press. He admitted to having beaten his servant,saying: