Grenade 'gift' shocks B'bang newlyweds

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Thursday, 07 May 2009

POLICE are investigating a case in which a gift-wrapped, homemade hand grenade was presented anonymously to newlyweds at their wedding in Battambang.

The Sangke district police chief, Chhien Kosa, said the bride's father told investigators that a motorbike taxi driver had dropped off the grenade, which was made of dynamite and metal and place in a Nokia mobile phone box, at the wedding ceremony on Monday.

The driver told the bride's father that the present was from someone in Phnom Penh, and that no one other than the bride and groom should open it.

"We have some information as to who was responsible, but I cannot elaborate at this stage," Chhien Kosa told the Post on Wednesday.

"We will not let the culprit get away unpunished because this grenade was dangerous and it could easily have killed people."

Chhien Kosa said the couple - 21-year-old Tear Sreyan and her husband Meng Sokun, 27 - were opening presents on the morning after the wedding when they noticed the gift with the hand-written message that read: "Wishing you happiness, and that you will soon have a baby."

But the note made the couple suspicious of the present and they decided to call the police, Chhien Kosa said.

He said police opened the box and discovered the grenade, and then contacted the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, the government's demining body, to destroy it.