REAKSMEY KONGKEA

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea In a tragic turn of events, a 72-year-old priest cum mortician died in an explosion while he was lighting up the pyre of a 20-year-old accident victim at a pagoda in the village of Roveang in Kampong Cham province’s Chhoeung Prey district, on Saturday evening. Chhoeung Prey district police deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Seng Lino said that the mortician was identified as Hoeun Soeun, living in Roveang village, Khnor Dambang commune. Lt. Col. Lino said that the priest had been burning corpses for more than 40 years, and the incident happened while he was prepared to burn the corpse of the youth with wood and 30 litres of gasoline. “When he lighted up the corpse the big steel door of the crematorium exploded and hit on his forehead causing him to die on the spot due to serious injuries,” he added. This is the first such accident happened at a funeral site. However, the youth’s cremation was carried out by other morticians, and the priest’s mortal rema

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea A former military officer was detained and charged by the Stung Treng Provincial Court yesterday after shooting his wife and causing her grievous injuries in a fit of jealously for allegedly having an affair with another man in the province. Siem Pang district police chief Colonel Chim Aun named the accused as Vai Chhom, 71, former military Lieutenant Colonel and his wife was identified as Pean Bovean, 44, a farmer. Col Aun said that the accused was charged with “attempted murder and unauthorised possession of a weapon” and faces 10 to 15 years in prison if convicted. He added that the accused was arrested on August 27 after he shot his wife in a jealous rage causing serious injuries to her left hip.  According to the accused’s confession, on the evening of August 26 he noticed that his wife wasn’t at home, so he went in search of her. At about 9:30 pm, he drove to his rice field on the outskirts of the village and saw his wife sitting and talking

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Three Taiwanese men were killed in a shooting incident after excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol and an ensuing argument in a rental condo in Phnom Penh’s Boeng Keng Kang district on Sunday. The incident took place at about 3 pm on Sunday at the Gold Glass Cando located in Boeung Keng Kang district’s Boeng Keng Kang I commune. District police deputy police Major Bun Heng said yesterday that the Taiwanese were identified as Xiao Ling, male, 30; Wei Li alias Ah Wei, male, 29; and Hong Zheng as alias Ah Hong, male, 31. Col Heng said that according to the initial investigation, on the day of the incident, the trio were drinking alcohol and smoking drugs. After becoming drunk and high, they had an argument. During the argument, Ling pulled out a pistol and fired four times at Wei and Hong killing them both. “After he had killed his two friends, Ling shot himself in the head and died,” Maj Heng said. He said that after the incident, the Condo manage

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Lt Gen Lim Sokhareakmey, Chief of Private Security Management Department (PSMD), yesterday urged private security agents to join hands with law enforcement agencies and step up their efforts to fight against drug menace, human trafficking and illegal detentions across the country.   LT. Gen. Sokhareaksmey said yesterday, “As the private security agents are based and working directly at target areas, including hotels, night clubs, restaurants and factories, I urge them to report offences like human trafficking, illegal detention and drug smuggling to the competent authorities immediately to nab the culprits.”   He added that the private security agents are inseparable because they guard those assigned-targeted areas round the clock, day and night. However, they are refrained from using force and do not have the right to use guns.   “But they can arrest a suspect and hand over to the police,” he said, adding that they had helped the authorities in severa

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Judges’ Council of Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday officially included the latest controversial voice clip submitted by the prosecutor as a fresh proof against Kem Sokha, the former president of the court dissolved Cambodian National Rescued Party [CNRP].   Yesterday was 52 nd hearing in a case related to Sokha allegedly conspired with foreign states or agents to overthrow the government between 1993 and 2017. The court witnessed heated arguments the prosecutors and Kem Sokha and his co-defense lawyers.  The deputy prosecutor Plong Sophal said that the latest inculpatory evidence proves Sokha’s relationship with Ho Vann, former chief of steering committees of CNRP, who organised violent demonstrations near pagoda at Stung Meanchey commune, and at Veng Sreng Street on January 2-4, 2013.   Sophal said that based on Vann’s confession in a phone communication made in 2019, Sokha was the mastermind of the demonstrations which led to burning of a p

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea    The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on August 24, 2022 sentenced a Filipino accused man to  10 years in prison for allegedly stabbing his younger sister and the younger brother-in-law and causing both of them to die at the place over the verbal argument.   The accident took place at about 10 am on September 10, 2021 at the Yabes Apartment located in ChamkarMon district’s Boeng Trabek commune. Presiding Judge Yi Sokvuoch named the accused as  Yabes Fermin JR Suyat, 54, the Filipino national and former owner and boss of the Yabes Apartment.   Judge Sokvouch identified the two victims as Jerry I Cervancs JR, 41, and his wife as Grace Yabes Suyat, 43, both are business people. The accused and victims are Filipino nationals and are elder –brother, younger sister and brother-in-law staying at the Yabes Apartment in Boeng Trabek commune.   “The Phnom Penh Municipal Court had decided to sentence the accused  Yabes Fermin JR Suyat to 10 years in prison,” Judge So

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea The Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday upheld the conviction of three men accused of attempted murder, but reduced their sentences to six years in prison for beating and inflicting grievous harm to a 22-year-old-man over a drug deal in Battambang province in 2018. Presiding Judge Ky Rithy named the accused as Sao Tha, male, 25; Vuthy Reaksmey, male, 22; and Chhorn Roeun, male, 23. The three are construction workers residing in Siri Meanchey commune in Battambang Province’s Sampov Loun district. Judge Rithy identified the victim as Chhuon Sdeoung, construction worker living in the same commune as the accused. The accused and the victim were friends and also drug users. The accused were sentenced in 2020 by the Battambang Provincial Court to 10 years in prison on the charge of “attempted murder”.    On February 5, 2018, the accused gave money to the victim to buy drugs, and when the victim bought the drugs he kept a small package of methamphetamine (ice) fo

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Two Military Police officers Two are under investigation for allegedly detaining and confining a man at the Stung Streng Military Police Headquarters without a court warrant on April 3. The accused are Provincial Military Police Commander Brigadier General Eang Vandy and his deputy Provincial Military Police Deputy Commander Colonel Phuy Khai. National Military Police spokesman Brigadier General Eng Hy said yesterday that “the military police are continuing their investigation into the case of the two military police officers”. Provincial military police led by the provincial court’s deputy prosecutor Chea Sopheak raided an illegal mining site in Stung Treng province’s Thalaborivat district, Anlong Chrey commune on March 28. Br Gen Hy said that according to Sopheak, the illegal mining site was run by a local company managed by Chea Vuthy.  He said that during that military operation, the provincial military police arrested Vuthy and brought him to the

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  Thirteen of 21 convicted activists of court dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) attended their appeal hearing by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.   Earlier in the year, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court has sentenced Sam Rainsy, former leader of CNRP, and 20 others of the party from five to ten years in prison each for allegedly threatening social security and attempt to overthrow the government between 2018 and 2019. During yesterday’s appeal hearing, the 13 accused who were present at the courtroom, said that charges against them were politically motivated by the current government and urged the court to revoke the lower court ruling and release them.   Presiding Judge Yun Narong said that Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 17 March sentenced Sam Rainsy, his wife Tioulong Saumura, Mu Sochua, Eng Chhay Eang, Top Vanchan, Nuth Ramduol, and Ho Vann, (all at large) to 10 years. The court also sentenced Phary, Chroek, Khean, Bunchhath, Sareth, Pheana, T

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea   A former three-star-general was sentenced by the   Phnom Penh Municipal Court to four years in prison for assaulting his ex-wife. Leng Bunsri, 57, who was a lieutenant general with the Ministry of National Defense, was also found guilty of confining his ex-wife and three children inside his house in September last year. The court ordered Bunsri to pay 60 million riels ($15,000) in damages to his former wife, Sim Lany, 44. Presiding Judge Nhim Pisal said Bunsri was charged on three counts with “detention and unlawful confinement, violence committed by spouse or partner, unauthorized holding weapon” under Articles 253, 222 and 490 of the Criminal Code. He said Bunsri was arrested on September 8 last year by the military police following a report filed by Lany.   During his hearing on July 28, Bunsri denied the charges, saying he had not beaten or threatened to kill Lany as alleged. When questioned about the injuries on Lany’s head and back, Bunsri

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Major General Chuon Narin, Provincial Police Chief of Preah Sihanouk, said yesterday that a search has begun for ringleaders in connection with the arrest of five Chinese men who arrived with 924kg ice or crystal meth off the coast in Preah Sihanouk on Wednesday.   Maj. Gen. Narin said that Preah Sihanouk provincial police in collaboration with the police in the anti-drug department at the Ministry of Interior and marine border protection force arrested the five Chinese suspects from a speed boat on the waters of Sihanoukville.  Maj. General Narin, however, declined to say from where the drugs were smuggled and to which location the suspects were heading. He added, “The suspects were planning to transport these drugs from Sihanoukville to a third country. Our experts are still trying to crack the case as we doubt there are more suspects who have been at large.”  Lt Gen Touch Phaleak, Chief of Maritime Border Protection Department at the Ministry of Int

  Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  The Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday upheld the life sentence given by the municipal court to four each - two Nigerian men, Filipina and Cambodian woman – in connection with smuggling of more than 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil to Cambodia in 2014.  Presiding Judge Ky Rithy said, “After having a clear consideration in this case, the Judges’ Council of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has found that the sentences given by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court is appropriate and fit for their offence.  The four accused have the rights to appeal against the judgement to the Supreme Court within a month.   Judge Ky Rithy named the four accused as 49-year-old former nurse from Philippines Macoy Mavill Villamor; Nigerian cloth vendors Emmanuel Thankgod, male, 41; and Michael Sunshine, male, 39; and Cambodian Meng Sinuon, 38, a former waitress working with a French-owned-restaurant living in ChamkarMon district’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune.  Macoy was sentenced on

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea Phnom Penh Municipal Court on August 11, 2022  tried former opposition leader Sam Rainsy in absentia for allegedly agreeing to cede four northeastern provinces to the Montagnard, a French term referring to a Vietnamese hill tribe, also known as Degar, most of whom are from Christian ethnic minority groups residing in the Vietnam Central Highlands. Presiding Judge Sin Sovannroath said Rainsy, 72, was charged with “handing over to foreign state all or part of the national territory” under Articles 27 and 440 of the Criminal Code.   If convicted, Rainsy faces a life sentence.   Judge Sovannroath said on April 14, 2013, Rainsy, who was then the CNRP president signed an “Agreement on Degar Indigenous Rights in Cambodia” with the leader of the Degar indigenous people Kok Ksor in the United States.   He said that according to the agreement, Rainsy agreed that the future government of Cambodia led by CNRP will deal with the Degar indigenous people in the north-e

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea    Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a former brigadier general and Kampong Chhnang provincial deputy police chief, to four years in jail for allegedly occupying restricted parts of more than 200 hectare of flooded forest land in Zone 3 of Tonle Sap Lake areas in Kampong Leng district between 2011 and 2021.   The court also slapped a fine of $12,500 on the accused who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit on December 16, 2021.     Judge Le Sokha said that the 52-year-old accused Sum Socheat, also known as Ngoy, hailing from Kampong Chhnang city, stood trial at the Municipal Court on July 26, and his verdict was handed down on Thursday (August 4). The court has also decided to confiscate a total of $509,998, the money obtained from the sale of allegedly grabbed lands.   “The accused has the right to appeal the judgment to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court within the period of a month (30 days) if he did not agree with it,” Judge Sokha added. How