Supreme Court upholds trio’s conviction for killing a woman

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea 

Phnom Penh Appeal Court on April 28  upheld the sentencing of two men and a woman, for killing a garment worker in 2018. 

The Phnom Penh Municipal court handed down prison terms ranging from 30 years to life sentence in 2019. 

“The Judges’ Council of Phnom Penh Appeal Court has considered that the ruling made by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court is appropriate for the heinous crime,” said the court’s presiding judge Yun Narong.

He identified the accused as Eth Chay, 31, Keo Sophaneth, 28 and his wife Ath Oeun, 31. 

All the three were charged with “premeditated murder” under Article 200 of the criminal code.

The court identified the victim as Khnoey Soeng, female, 31, a money lender who was working with a Chinese-owned garment factory in Prey Veng province.




The murder took place in June 2018 at the home of the accused in Treav 2 Village, in in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district. And the body of the victim was later found by villagers in a canal. 

According to the Court’s document read by Judge Narong, the three had borrowed money from the victim. For about 7 months before the murder, the accused had each borrowed from $20 to $50 per month to improve their bread selling business.  

They sold bread near the garment factory where the victim worked. 




He went on to say that after borrowing the money, and knowing that the woman had money, jewellery and a luxury motorbike, planned to murder her and steal her property.

He added that on the day of the murder, Oeun called the victim and told her to come to the rented room and collect repayment of the money while Sophaneth and Chay hid inside. 

“But when the victim entered Oeun's rental room, Sophaneth and Chay grabbed her and tied both her legs and hands with electric wires,” Judge Narong read from the document.

 “While the two accused men caught and tied the victim, Oeun took wires to strangle her,” he said.

He added that they were later arrested in Prey Veng Province.  They were arrested in accordance with the complaint of the victim’s family after she disappeared without reason on June 19.

 During yesterday's appeal hearing, the accused, who presented at the courtroom, admitted committing the offence, saying that they killed the victim to steal her property. 



The accused added that they did not have any money to repay her. 

They said that they appealed the ruling of the lower court because the sentences given by the lower court were very high.

 They asked the Appeals Court to reduce the sentences.

 

 









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