Armed robbery close to a bank

Cambodge Soir

07-10-2008

While exiting his car, a Chinese citizen fell victim to an armed robbery in Phnom Penh.

The event took place on Tuesday 7 October at 11.30am. It seems like the man had been followed as he had just left a bank, the First Commercial Bank, where he had withdrawn 50,000 dollars in cash. The 52 year old man was robbed after he had parked his Mercedes on the parking of the Acleda bank on Monivong Boulevard.

According to witnesses, the robbers arrived on a motorbike and threatened their victim with a revolver and a hammer. But their prey had the reflex to throw the plastic pouch with the money on the booth of the parking guard. Alas, the criminals were nevertheless able to grab it after it fell from its perch. The guard intervened by shooting several times in the air but couldn’t stop the thieves from running away with their booty.

In Channy, General Director of Acleda, couldn’t be contacted by phone. However, a staff member declared that the security cameras might reveal useful information. According to some witnesses, a Lexus was following the thieves and might have been accomplice to the robbery.

Contacted by phone, Touch Naroth, municipal police commissioner, said that his services were investigating the case.